For You, I Will
by dracos-beautygirl
Summary: Sequel to The Three Rings of Marriage. In war, there are only two outcomes: the people who live to die, and the people who die to their lives...Rating for later
1. The Lives We Now Live

_It has always been said that war is just another excuse for men and women to kill each other. It is the battle ground of racist, terrorist and lovers; radicals, assassins and spies. _

_Yet, not all wars are fought with guns, wands and blood. Some wars are fought with the heart and mind. _

_These wars test the weak and the strong, in mind and body. It test the wills of men and weakness the have in falling into temptation. _

_But the biggest test of all in war is where loyalties lie. In in war, there are only to loyalties. To ones heart, or to ones death..._

_

* * *

_

"_Impedimenta!!_ Try harder, Draco!!! No, no, NO!!! Stop looking at the attacker and start looking at the target!!!" Again, Draco did as he was told, holding up his wand and concentrating, again, the same results as last time. Snape, frustrated beyond measure, shoved Draco to the ground and made his way back up to the castle, leaving the exhausted young man to himself.

For the last month, after recovery, Draco had submerged himself in rigorous training to get his mind off his memories. But, as his speech was still not what it should be, and his mind not where it should be either, all his teachers, whether training or not, were becoming increasingly tired of his inability to work. He had become distant in mind, never paying attention in class and therefore getting grades that were unusual of him. He drew attention from students and teachers, even though they already knew what happened to him. But nobody seemed to want to let it go.

After all, he was a Death Eater living around innocents.

Not that it bothered people much anymore. He was constantly under watch by a Ministry guard that stalked him everywhere, as Dumbledore had refused to let the Ministry take him while he was recovering from his trauma.

Draco gave a laugh that sounded like somebody yakking and stood, looking around for his guard. _Ah, there you are,_ he thought to himself, spotting the man next to the lake, watching him carefully. Pocketing his wand, he spat at the man and began walking up to the castle. The guard followed him at a safe distance and when they entered the castle, he took Draco's wand and disappeared. It was dinner anyway. As Draco limped into the Great Hall, he was stopped by a small group of people. Looking up at them, his lip curled.

Blaise Zambini, his best friend, Ginny "Red" Weasley, Blaise's girlfriend, Ronald Weasley, Red's stupid brother, and Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived. Brilliant.

"What da 'ell do you wan?" Draco snapped out, cringing inwardly at his words. He was sensitive about talking and only did around these four. Not even. Ginny glanced behind him, tossing her red hair.

"We saw your training," she commented and he spat at her too. He saw Ron clench his fist but keep his head. That's how it had to be. Draco was unpredictable in his actions towards them and they had to deal with that, even if it meant being slightly bruised. Ginny merely wiped her face and continued. "You really need to stop. It's not going to help you, Draco. It's making you worse." Draco limped past her and stomped over to the almost deserted Slytherin table.

Ever since the incident with Draco, Death Eaters had pulled their kids out of school so that nothing similar happened to them. Draco sat down, smothered in anger and then flipped his plate into the air with a moan of anger. The four students sat down with him as several students looked over, shaking their heads. Harry eyed him critically.

"You're acting like an idiot."

"Screw you," Draco spat. That was the first phrase he learned upon regaining his speech. As he continued to fume, he noticed the looks he was getting from several girls. It was no secret that he wasn't as good looking as he used to, but he was looking better than before. His face held less scars, though the eyepatch remained. His hair was dyed platinum blonde so that it didn't look miss-matched with the tuffts of grey/brown hair. There was nothing to be done about the limp, nor the small chunk of skin missing from his arm, but most girls agreed that he now sported a 'ruggedly handsome' persuasion. Not that he cared. Girls were just another thing he tried not to think about. It pained him too much.

"Malfoy!" Ron snapped and Draco turned his good eye on him.

"Wha?" Ron nodded to the Daily Prophet that was set in front of him. Glancing at the headline, he grunted and shoved it back to Ron. "So?"

"So?" Ron looked shocked. "So? You're name is all over this attack!!" Ginny grabbed the paper.

"_Hogwarts Housing Murderer,_" she read. "_Known Death Eater, Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius Malfoy, is known to be being sheltered at the world known Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Should parents be concerned about the saftey of their children in the presence of this man? Headmaster Dumbledore said in a press conference that Draco Malfoy is being held for recovery and nothing more, but several have already posed questions on whether or not Dumbledore is housing more Death Eaters inside his school. Is it possible that this Dumbledore that all have known and reviered is siding with You-Know-Who? _This is rubbish! How can they even assume that Dumbledo-"

"Oh shup, Red," Draco snarled, standing. The Great Hall was starting to close in on him and he needed to get to a wider area. "I'm outside." With that, he limped out. Ginny watched him and sighed, tears coming into her eyes.

"I'm so worried about him," she whispered. "With the way he's going, he'll end up killing himself, and we can't afford two deaths this year. Merlin, I wish Hermione was here. I miss her so much." She choked and Blaise wrapped a careful arm around her, noticing the warning look from Ron. Harry lifted up his cup and sighed.

"We all miss her, Ginny," he whispered. "It's going to be hard getting through this war without her..." Ron nodded silently, and shook his head.

"I can't believe she's really..." Ginny's sob halted him and he rested his head on the table, tearing up as well.

* * *

He sat next to the lake, staring out over the still surface. He didn't want to think, but thoughts came to him, causing him to close his eyes. 

_Draco..._

Immediately, his eyes flew open. "No," he grunted. "No." He refused these thoughts. They weren't doing him any good, but letting them fester wasn't doing him any good either. He hated them.

For the five days after waking in the hospital wing, he had submerged himself in pain, grief and tears, refusing to talk to anyone while wrath and pain swallowed him whole. He had let memories wash over him like a fountain and watched as images of what could never be broke forth, leaving him to his sobs of agony and hatred for himself.

After those five days, he threw himself into his recovery and training, refusing to dwell on his heart.

"Draco," came Snape's voice. Draco didn't turn around as the man sat down next to him. "You'll get points taken off for being out here after hours." Draco grunted and made a rude gesture. Snape laughed and they fell silent. "Draco, what do you plan to do with your life?"

"'ou men after I go to Azkaban?" he grumbled.

"No. I mean what do you plan to do with your life if you don't go to Azkaban. You can't wear that ring forever." Draco looked down and for the first time in a month, realized he was wearing his wedding band on his hand. Fingering it, he shrugged, eyes shut.

"I hate remembering...It hurts."

"It'll hurt more the longer you don't."

"Why don' you go ta hell? I don' 'ave time for your philisophical bullshit."

"First of all, you need to practice a bit more on you speaking. Second of all, it's not bullshit. It's the truth. And the longer you hide from it, it'll end up killing you."

"The truth already killed me. Or I killed et...her...see, ya go me..." But he could not continue. Memories, jerked into existance by his words, flooded into his mind, attacking his heart and invading his soul. Tears ran down the right side of his face and he put his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking. Severus watched him in silence as the young man let down his guard, like he did every night, and let his broken heart run down his face and into the ground. It happened every night. Severus brought up the subject so that Draco could let out the pain he was keeping inside of him so that, in the long run, Draco would't go totally insane. There was a war going on and Draco would need his sanity if he would face what was to be hurled at him.

* * *

Her eyes fluttered open and she shivered at the cold. Pulling the rags closer around her, she curled into a ball next to the wall, shutting her eyes to the cool breeze that blew through the alleyway that she lay in. Voices from the street floated towards her but she ignored them, trying to fall back asleep, but her grumbling stomach did not allow for it. Finally, she stood behind the dumpster and stretched, still shivering from the cold weather. Her clothes were tattered and frayed at the ends, with spots of blood dotting them. Her shoes were strips of cloth torn from what had been left of her robes and her hands also wrapped in cloth. Her hair hung down, lifeless and dull, in front of her face, whipping around her when a breeze came. Her body was frail, though someone could mistake her for slightly poochy. But it wasn't pooch, or an eating disorder, that affected the young woman. 

It was pregnancy.

Moving along the alleyway slowly, she quickly tried to remember what happened yesterday.

_Oh, that's right,_ she thought bitterly. _The same thing you've been doing for as long as you can remember...which isn't much..._

Shaking her head, she reached the street and glanced around. It was pretty early, so London was mostly quiet, which was what she liked. People didn't notice her as much. Entering the main sidewalk, she kept her head down and headed towars the nearest bakery. She knew it would be closed at this time, but the man who owned it always gave her something for the mornings. She reached the shop and stood outside, watching silently as a petit woman in an apron placed little pastries on the window shelves. The woman looked up and, upon catching sight of the woman outside, smiled and motioned her in. The door gave a ring as she came inside, glad to be out of the cold.

"Good morning, Elly," the petit woman greeted as the street woman rubbed her hands together. Elly looked up, smiling wanly.

"Good morning, Nicole. How are you today?" Nicole shrugged as she began putting some rolls into a brown paper bag.

"Ok. Arnold has a cold, so Hillary is coming in. How are you?" Elly snorted.

"Cold, pregnant and cold." Nicole sighed.

"Still don't remember anything?" Elly shook her head.

"Not a thing. I had a weird dream last night about people on dreams, like witches, but only there were boys too. It was strange. I don't know. Maybe I belong in an insane asylum."

"Don't say that!" Nicole scolded. "I'm sure you'll find out sooner or later. I've heard concussions are fickle things. It might take a while for your memory to come back."

"I'm not even sure it was a concussion," Elly muttered. "There wasn't a bump or anything."

"No, there were terrible bruises and gashes and other unmentionable things that covered you. You're lucky Arnold found you like he did, or you might not be alive. Who ever dumped you off there tortured you bad, poor dear." Elly shrugged.

"I've gotten over that well enough," she told her. "It's more this thing attached to me." At that, she motioned to her bump. "I'd like to know how it got there."

"Well, we found you with a ring around your neck," Nicole said as the door rang once more and a tall, plump woman hustled in, carrying a covered basket. "Hello, Hillary. You remember Elly?" Hillary looked up and smiled widely at Elly.

"Yes, yes! Elly! The girl from the alleyway, glad to see you so plump!" Elly laughed.

"Well, we were just discussing that. I'd like to know who gave me this bump." Hillary put the basket on the counter and shook a finger at the younger woman.

"Time, my dear. All in God's good time. Don't fret, all will come to you when it's supposed to. Right now, why don't you go upstairs and change into some nice clothes. Nicole should have something your size. You'll work here today. I don't want you out there while it's so cold, you'll catch your death." Elly gave a grateful smile and headed upstairs. Nicole watched her leave and shook her head, smiling.

"Bless her heart," she said. "Poor girl has no idea who she is, can't remember her past or anything. It's a sad business, but she's a good girl about it." Hillary nodded.

"She is. Hope someone's looking for her. Imagine being dumped in an alleyway with no one to love you."

"Oh, with that face and that personality, someone loved her. She was married. Look, I still have her ring." Nicole opened a drawer and took out a box. Opening it, she smiled. Inside held a platinum/gold slim wedding band. On the inside was etched a snake and a lion. "Someone loved her. I just hope that someone finds her."

* * *

**Ok, so the title was do to popular demand, but it can change if you, as the reader, want it to. All you have to do is review. Oh, and if the first chapter sucked, than it's because I can't do starting chapters, just like my first one in Rings of Marriage. Any who...**

**Merry Christmas!!**


	2. Feelings of the Dead

Naomi Wolf: 

_Pain is real when you get other people to believe in it. If no one believes in it but you, your pain is madness or hysteria._

_

* * *

_

Ginny shifted around in Blaise's grip, snuggling closer as they continued to watch the stars from a hidden spot on one of the roofs of the castle. Blaise had braught out blankets, drinks and food for them and they gazed as a shooting star painted its tail across the dark sky.

"This is beautiful, Blaise," she whispered to him and he smiled.

"I thought you needed this," he told her, running his fingers through her hair. "You've been upset for a while." Ginny nodded, sniffing.

"It's hard getting over Hermione's...well, you know. Having her not here is strange and I miss her so much." Blaise kissed her forehead and then kissed her lips. He pulled her closer, running his hands up and down her arms. She moved closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck as he deepened the kiss. His hands moved up her shirt, tracing circles onto her back and around her bra. She gasped, pulling away and sitting up. He pulled away from her, hands immediately inside his pockets. She shivered and began gathering her things. "Come on," she told him softly. "It's getting cold." He merely nodded, the scene playing over in his mind as he packed up the stuff and the left the roof through a trap door. They walked quietly down the hallway, an akwardness about them. Finally, he turned to her.

"Red, I-"

"It's alright, Blaise," she muttered, not really wanting to talk about it. "Can we just let it go?" He stared at her but nonetheless fell silent. She felt his gaze on her and sighed. "Please, Blaise..." He turned away, shaking his head. They turned a corner and froze, shocked at what they saw before them.

It was the Entrance Hall, and it was full of students gathered in a circle, yelling and screaming about a fight. Pushing their way through, Ginny let out a small cry of horror to find Draco and another seventh year Ravenclaw going at it on the floor. They were a mass of fists and feet, wands laying disregarded. Harry and Ron popped up next to him, with Ron wearing a tiny smile.

"So David Conner says, 'wouldn't it be funny if Draco Malfoy tripped down the stairs because he can't see?' Ravenclaw thinks it's funny. Malfoy walks over there and goes, 'wouldn't it be funny if I shoved this up your ass?' only in that real weird way he talks, and picks up a fork. David pulls out his wand but Malfoy tackles him and the teachers haven't been able to get them away from each other." Blaise shook his head.

"Temper," he hissed, pulling out his wand. "He'll get himself killed. We don't have time for this. _Impedimenta!_" The two boys flew apart and scrambled to their feet. David looked relatively fine, if one ignored the bleeding ear and slightly bent wrist. Draco, however, looked like someone might have thrown him through a woodchipper. But his attitude had not improved.

"Why don ya try et agin, Conner?" he spat, scooping up his wand. "I dare ya to try et agin." David rolls his eyes.

"I would, but I don't know what the hell you're saying, Malfoy. Try speaking clearly this time." Draco's eyes flashed dangerously and he hurled out a curse without saying a word. The jet of bright blue flashed through the air and crashed right into David's body, sending him crumpling to the floor.

"I don 'ave ta spik, Conner," Draco grated out. Blaise glared at him and snatched his robes, yanking him back. Draco, however, would not be detered and soon threw Blaise into the wall with a sickening crunch. "Don TOUCH ME!!" he roared, turning on the rest of them. "What the HELL DO 'OU WAN FROM ME?!!" Everyone took a step back, slightly shocked at his outburst. Ginny had rushed to Blaise's side to see that he was still breathing while Ron and Harry pulled out their wands.

"_Stupefy!!"_ they both shouted, blasting Draco into unconsciousness.

* * *

Nicole was bouncing on the balls of her feet as Elly and Hillary came in. Elly eyed her, laughing. 

"Stop jumping, Nicole! You're giving me a headache!!" Nicole took Elly's hand.

"Elly, you'll never guess what brilliance I've come up with!" Hillary smiled at her.

"I know I won't." Nicole glared at her and continued.

"We go to the National Hospital! (btw, I'm not British or anything, so if they don't have a National Hospital, then whatever. Just use your imagination. Anything of the following I am totally making up.) They have baby record from every hospital! We go there and see if your name pops up. By your accent, we know you're English, but wouldn't it be excellent to find out who you actually are!!" Elly's eyes widened and then filled with tears.

"Oh, Nicole!!" she cried, hugging her friend tightly. "Oh, that would be wonderful!! Then I'll find out all about myself!!" Both women began jumping up and down in excitement and Hillary shook her head at them.

"Young people," she grumbled, putting on her apron and starting up the ovens. The door rang and two young men came in, chatting with each other. Elly, pulling on her apron, leaned on the counter, smiling.

"Can I help you two?" she asked and they looked at her. One was tall, with dark brown hair, blue eyes, and a tan. The other was shorter than his counterpart, but with identically striking features, dirty blonde hair and green eyes. The brown haired one gave Hermione a once over and smiled charmingly.

"Yes, you can," he said. "We'd like some coffee, decaf for me, and bring out some sweet rolls." Elly nodded and headed over to start the coffee machine. Nicole glanced at the men.

"Looks like you've got some admirers, El," she muttered and Elly blushed.

"Not at all. I'm not at all attractive." Hillary shook her head.

"Quite the contrary, young lady," she told Elly. "Men these days find baby bumps quite complimentary." Elly shook her head but put the rolls on the plates and walked out to where the two men sat at a table. The blonde one smiled at her.

"Name's Brian, by the way," he said, holding out his hand. Elly took it, feeling her cheeks heat up.

"Elly. And you sir are?" The brown haired man grinned.

"Charles," he told her. "Glad to meet you Elly. I haven't seen you in here before, are you new?"

"Oh, I normally come in here in the evenings. But I'm glad I came this morning." _Good grief, am I flirting?_ she thought to herself as she walked back to the counter. Nicole winked at her.

"Nice going," she said.

"Don't you think this is kind of wrong?" Elly asked, a slightly worried look on her face. "I mean, I'm technically married, aren't I?" Nicole shrugged.

"There's no harm in some harmless flirting. It's not like you're going to go and marry one of them. It's just friendly conversation. Besides, whoever you're married to hasn't seemed in any rush to find you." A look of pain flashed across Elly's face at these words. She was married, yes. But Nicole was right. She'd been around for a month and not once had she seen her face pop up on the news or on the window of a store or anything. Maybe whoever she was married to didn't care if she had been thrown into an alleyway. A sudden look of horror passed across her face. What if the man she had married had dumped her in the alleyway in hopes of getting rid of her?

Expressing this sudden thought with Nicole and Hillary after dropping off the cups of coffee with Brian and Charles, Elly bit her lip, awaiting response. Nicole looked horrified at this prospect.

"How could some man just abandon you like that!" she cried and then lowered her voice as several customers looked over. "You're too cute!"

"Maybe it was because I'm pregnant," Elly pointed out, but Hillary shook her head.

"Lets not think about these things," she said. "We'll find out what happened in God's time, my dear. For now, why don't you get some tea out to that table over there. They look like they could use a refill."

* * *

"Never, in all my years of teaching, have I seen more stubborn a student as you!" Severus growled as he paced the length of his office once more. Draco Malfoy sat slumped in a chair, glowering at the floor. He had been cleaned up by Madam Pomfrey and Severus had brought him down to his office for scolding. "How could you allow yourself to get into a fight over _words_, Draco?! _Words!!_ I am not saying that what Mr. Conner said was right, but it gave you no right at all to do what you did. The boy will be limping for a week."

"He ca join da club," Draco hissed, coughing slightly. Severus glanced at him and opened a cupboard, chosing a vial of green liquid and handing it to Draco. He then sat down at his desk and watched as his student downed the bottle and spluttered for a moment.

"You cannot attack every person that makes a remark on your looks. They are not what they were before, so people will talk. But you must control your actions." Draco glared at him and made a rude hand gesture, which Severus ignored. "Things aren't looking to good for you, Draco. The Ministry is down Dumbledore's back about turning you over. Keep up this business with attacking students, which we have no choice but to report, and it's a sure way into solitary confinement at Azkaban, and I'm sure you don't want that." Draco continued to glare, but it was weaker now. He didn't have the strength to argue with Snape. The man was right, anyway. "Do you want to talk?"

"Abou wha?"

"You know exactly what."

"No. There's nothing to ta abou." Severus nodded and stood.

"Fine. Well, you'll be serving detention for the next week and we've been asked to put another guard on you. Blaise will be with you at all times from now on, as he seems to have more control on you." Draco snorted but nevertheless left. Ministry man was waiting for him, as was Blaise. They headed back up the stairs, Ministry man a few feet behind.

"You're losing it, aren't you?" Blaise whispered. Draco glanced at him.

"I'm fine."

"No you're not. You're not yourself. You've completely changed since Her-" He suddenly found himself shoved into the wall. The Ministry man flicked his wand and Draco was sent to the ground. Getting to his feet, he glared at Blaise.

"Don't you _ever_ say her name," he hissed. "_Ever._" His eyes closed and he turned back down the hall. Blaise rubbed his neck and followed him silently, knowing that Draco was crying by the silence that echoed the walls.


	3. Consequences of the Unknown Dead

_Elisabeth Kübler-Ross_

_I believe that we are solely responsible for our choices, and we have to accept the consequences of every deed, word, and thought throughout our lifetime._

_

* * *

_

For the next week, Elly continued her conversations with Brian and Charles, who she found to be facinating people. Brian was majoring law at Oxford while Charles was taking courses in philosophy and psychology. The three had long conversations over the human mind and Hermione found herself growing attatched to them, especially Charles, who she quickly found out to be single. Brian had been dating his girl for seven months.

At the end of this week, Nicole bounded into the cafe, waving a paper at Elly. "Elly! We're going!! Come on, get in the car!!" Elly and Hillary stared at Nicole like she was insane. Nicole, rolling her eyes, grabbed Elly's arm. "Get in the car, we're going to the National Hospital!!" Hillary grabbed their coats and they locked the door. Piling into the car, Nicole pushed the pedal and they shot off. Elly looked about the car in wonder. She had only ever remembered being in one once, but it was only a glimpse as Arnold had been rushing her to his house, as the roads had been blocked into downtown London.

The trip took only five minutes and they pulled into the parking lot of the National Hospital. It was a large, regal buildings with pillars outside with the name of the founders on them. The parking lot was expansive, but Nicole managed to find a spot close to the entrance. Walking into the building, Elly looked around. The lobby was huge, with bulletins and a waiting room off to the side. The receptionist was talking to an elderly couple. Her eyes drifted closed as another image flooded in. A lobby such as this, only deserted and dark. There were people with her and she could sense them all scared. The apparent leader of the group was a raven-haired boy whose face she could not see. Suddenly, the image changed and she was standing in a room with the raven haired boy and two other men, one of whose head was smaller than it should have been. It was that of a baby on top of a grown man's head!!

"Elly!!" Her eyes jerked open and she found that she was sweating fervently. A doctor was watching her with a concerned eye, as were her two friends.

"Are you ok, miss?" the doctor asked. Elly looked around herself, forcing herself to remain calm.

"I'm fine," she muttered. "Just a bit dizzy, is all. I'm fine, really." The doctor, looking unconvinced, turned to Nicole. Elly shook her head, trying to rid herself of these images that had attacked her. _What did they mean to her, anyway?_

"So you are looking for birth certificates and photographs, are you?" the doctor continued. Nicole nodded, handing over the piece of paper she had waved at Elly and Hillary.

"We're looking for her certificates, you see. She doesn't really remember...well, could we just have a look around. They are public records, aren't they?" The doctor eyed her.

"Semi-public," he corrected, turning his attention to Elly. "Your name would be?" Elly fidgeted.

"Well, you see, that's what we've come to figure out. You see, I don't really remember who I am." The doctor's eyebrows rose and he turned back to Nicole.

"Is this come kind of joke, because I have better th-"

"No!" Elly cried. "It's not a joke. I honestly have no memory of who I am, and I was kind of hoping that I would find out here..." The doctor looked her over, searching for signs of falsehood. Once satisfied that there were none, he motioned them to follow him.

"The archive is a rather large one, so to locate your friends identity, we'll need to take a couple pictures. Then, in a few days, we'll call you when we find results."

"You mean we can't look for ourselves?" Hillary asked. The doctor glanced back at her.

"Only if you have identification, which she doesn't have. So no, you can't. Hospital rules." Nicole huffed as they followed him into a room off the main hall. Picking up a digital camera from in the cupboard, he asked Elly to stand against the wall. He took four shots from different angles and then asked her to wait here. He returned a minute later with a nurse. She pulled out a needle and blood vial, taking out some antiseptic wipes also. Elly eyed her apprehensively.

"What's the needle for?" she asked nervously. The nurse smiled.

"It's alright. We just need a blood sample so that the process can go quicker. It'll be a lot easier to find out who you are then from a few snapshots, trust me. Now, just sit here and it'll be over like this." She snapped her finger and sat down on a stool as Elly took her place in a chair. Finding a vein, the nurse inserted the needle and Elly gasped. "It's alright. It'll be over in just a second." Elly watched in fascinated horror as her own red blood flowed from the needle, through a tube and into the vial. When it was done, the nurse applied a band-aid and stood, tapping the vial. "Ok, you can go. If one of you could leave your information with the receptionist, we'll be able to contact you as soon as possible."

* * *

Draco wandered the dark halls of Hogwarts, not really knowing, or caring, where he was. His eye was red from crying and his feet hurt from his effort at ditching his guards, which had paid off and now he walked around, alone, with his thoughts tearing holes in him.

_Why do you care where your thoughts take you?_ a nasty voice asked. _You've destroyed everything you loved, why do you care if you remember?_

"Because remembering hurts," Draco mumbled, kicking the wall in fury and swearing heavily at the pain it caused. The painting watched him sadly as he punched the wall, hitting it until his knuckles were ripped and bleeding.

_You're going mad, you know._

"Go away."

_First sign of madness is talking to yourself._

"Get out of my head. I'm not crazy, I'm in grief."

_No, you're in denial. You're Draco Malfoy. You don't grieve over mudbloods. You take pride in having been the cause of their deaths._

"NO! GET OUT!!"

_Face it. You'll always be a Death Eater. That's what you were bred to be. Embrace your true self._

"**GET OUT!!!"**

"Draco, Stop!!" Harry and Ginny ran over, grabbing him just before he fell of the ledge of the window. Draco blinked and looked around himself. He stood in the Astronomy tower and had been about to fall out the window when Harry, Ginny and Ron had come up, looking for him. He brushed them off and leaned into a corner, shaking uncontrollably.

"Tell him to get out," he whispered and the three Gryffindors looked around, confused.

"Who are you talking about, Malfoy?" Ron asked and Draco glared at him.

"The Dark Lord. Tell him to go away." The three students exchanged worried glances, and Ginny stepped forward, putting a hesitant hand on Draco's shoulder. She felt him tense and then relax and she pulled him towards the door.

"Come on, Draco," she said. "Let's go get something to eat and then get to bed. You're tired, it's been a long day." Draco merely nodded, glancing around and seeing only laughing red eyes.

* * *

"So, what are you doing tonight?" Charles asked and Elly looked up, startled. Wiping her hands on her apron, she shrugged, glancing around for Nicole.

"Nothing, as always," she told him and he laughed.

"Well, then why don't you join me at this club I'm going to. My friends are coming and I'd like you to meet them." Elly raised an eyebrow.

"You mean, like a date?" she asked, uncertain.

"Not if you don't want it to be," he answered, looking totally relaxed. She bit her lip and opened her mouth.

"Of course she'll come!" Spinning around, she stared at Nicole in shock.

"Nicole!" she hissed but Nicole turned her around and she put on a quick smile.

"What time should you pick her up?" Nicole asked and Elly felt her face heating up. Charles shook his head, smiling.

"I'll come around nine?" Elly nodded and Charles walked off with a wave. Turning on Nicole, she glared.

"Nicole!! Nicole, I'm married!!"

"Oh, poppycock," Nicole chided. "You've been stuck inside forever! Get out, do something! And, don't consider it a date. Just friends going to a club, is all."

"I'm pregnant!"

"Oh, you look great! You're not that pregnant that you're all the way out there and you can still look great in a mini dress!"

So that was how, at ten past nine, Hermione found herself following Charles into a packed club, wearing a sleeveless black minidress. It hugged her perfectly, showing a bit of cleavage and her bump made her absolutely glow. They sat down at a table with ten other people.

"I'd like you all to meet Elly!" Charles said above the music. "Elly, this is Nancy, Jacob, Elanor, Katie, Diana, George, Cory, Greg, and Karen. You know Brian already." Elly smiled at them all and they smiled back. Nancy looked her over.

"Wow, you look good!" she said. "Am I guessing right that you're pregnant?" Elly blushed.

"Yes. Three months." Katie laughed.

"Wow, Charles. Don't waste time do you." Charles went red in the face, as did Elly.

"We're not dating," Charles clarified. "She's a friend." Katie looked horrified.

"Oh my goodness!! Oh, I'm so sorry! I just-"

"It's alright," Elly interupted, looking around. "So, I've never been to a club. What do we do?" George laughed.

"We dance, we eat, we get wasted, that's what we do!" he told her, giving Cory a high five. Elly shook her head.

"No alcohol for the pregnant lady," she said. "But dancing and eating, I can certainly do." Diana and Elanor grabbed her arm.

"Then lets go!" Elanor shouted, pulling the others out onto the floor.

They danced for thirty minutes before Elly had to sit down. It was getting hot and she needed something to drink. Ordering a soda, she smiled as Charles sat down next to her.

"Wow, this is great!" she exclaimed. "I should do this more often!" Charles grinned.

"For a pregnant lady, you danced pretty dirty." Elly blushed furiously, biting her lip. Charles' grin widened and he leaned in, kissing her softly. She gasped, but then kissed him back, falling into his grip perfectly.

"Oh, so you're not dating, huh?" They pulled away immediately, growing red under the looks of their amused friends. Brian smirked.

"They _weren't_ dating," he corrected. Elly glanced at Charles, sitting up in her seat and grabbing her soda. _Good God, I'm kissing a guy while I'm married to somebody else? _

_"But he hasn't come looking for you! Go ahead, have some fun. It's not like it's anything serious."_ Elly shook her head as she felt Charles sneak his arm around her waist while talking to Greg. She stared at it for a moment and then smiled, leaning against him and engaging Katie in a discussion over who was a better singer, Mariah Carrey or Celine Dion.


	4. When In Doubt

_Rollo May_

_The relationship between commitment and doubt is by no means an antagonistic one. Commitment is healthiest when it is not without doubt but in spite of doubt.

* * *

_

Elly walked with Charles to the door of what she had told him was her apartment building. It was actually Nicole's. Charles turned to her, smiling.

"I had a great time, Elly," he said. "I'm really glad that you came." She nodded.

"So am I," she told him. "It was nice to get out of the ca-I mean apartment for once." Charles looked at her for a moment and then leaned in. She moved forward, letting their lips meet as his arms wrapped around her. She dropped her purse, snaking her arms around his neck and letting her fingers run through his dark hair. They moved backwards slightly, Charles supporting them against the wall with his arm as their kisses deepened and his hand wandered from her waist to her exposed thighs. She groaned as he moved his lips from her mouth to her neck, nipping it affectionately. His hand slipped under her dress, rubbing her upper thighs gently as her leg moved up his.

_Elly, think about what you're doing?_ she thought suddenly, and she pulled away, gasping. _You're still married._ She looked away from him as he frowned.

"So, um...can I call you?" he asked and she nodded.

"I'll see you at the cafe, ok?" she told him and he nodded and left. She watched as his car drove off and then sighed, hurrying inside. Banging on Nicole's door, she ran the scene in her head and closed her eyes as another image came into focus in her mind. She was inside a room and someone was whispering something into her ear. She had been pushed onto a bed and the same person now straddled her, whispering something more. Lips crushed hers and her eyes snapped open. Nicole had opened the door and was looking nervous.

"You ok, Elly?" she asked, eyes concerned. Shaking her head, Elly sighed.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

* * *

Draco walked quietly into his shower, turning on the water and waiting until the room was filled with steam before getting in and letting the scalding hot water beat down on his skin. He let out a laugh and shook his head. 

"Yeah, I'm cazy," he muttered. "'E'll be crazy after they finish fixin him..."

_The time is now..._

"Oh shi, wha the hell do you wan?"

_Shut up, you filthy little traitor. You need to realize that you don't have much time before the Ministry gets to you._

"Oh, you tink I didn't know tha'? I'm na stupid. Now leave me alone."

_Your time is running out and your loyalty is still in question._

"Go. AWAY!!"

_You belong to me. I own you and you know it. You must decide. This game of loyalty that you play cannot be won._

"I'm na playing a game. I'm not playin anythin. You try to kill me!"

_You did that yourself, you jumped up, little ingrate. I didn't throw you out the window of a moving train and into the wall of a stone tunnel! You accomplished your demise well on your own._

"GO AWAY!! LEAVE MEH ALONE!!"

_The Dark Lord will not wait for you forever. I demand your absolute loyalty!_

"Screw you."

_You will bow to me in the end._

"Fuck You!"

_Be sure that I will have the soul of every man, woman and child inside that building. You cannot deny it!_

"FUCK YOU!!!" His fist pounded into the wall, his shout echoing the walls of the bathroom. The voice was gone for now, but it would return again. That much he knew. It would come back. He shook his head, eye closed.

"Geh it out of your head, Draco," he whispered. "'Ou can't lose your mind. Not right now. Not with the Minstry watching... they'll have ou... she'll have you... can't let tha appen... HA! They think they can geh a Malfoy... stupid fools... they'll all die... jus lik she died... lik I died... Ha... Ha, I died... I DIED!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!"

* * *

Elly shifted out of his grip slightly, trying to soften the kiss. Sitting in one of the booths of the cafe, Elly felt self-conscious with Charles kissing her so deeply. She felt that maybe it shouldn't be going so fast, but then again, it felt so right. 

_But didn't doing something wrong always feel right?_

Nicole, who was watching this, shook her head, laughing while Hillary shook her head.

"This isn't right," she said and Nicole waved her off.

"It's fine. It's not like they're gonna get married or anything. It's just some harmless kissing!"

"She's a married woman! It's wrong!"

"Oh, so being dumped in an alleyway isn't? Come on, Hillary! She deserves some happiness! How do we know that the man she's married to didn't just dump her off in the alleyway? Until we get the results from the Hospital, let her have some fun!" Hillary glanced at the couple. She could not deny that there was an intense like from both parties. She sighed.

"I guess it won't hurt any..." Nicole smiled.

"They look so cute together!!"

Charles pulled away, moving his kisses down her neck. "What are you doing tonight?" he asked Elly and she shrugged, pulling her neck away gently. She didn't want to come across as rejecting him, but she still felt that the neck thing would have to wait for later times.

"Nothing. I was going to go do some shopping for Nicole. Why?"

"Did you want to come over to my house for a party I'm having? Not many people. Like twenty or so. It'll be fun!" She smiled.

"I'd love to."

The door rang and a tall, dark skinned man came in. He rubbed his hands together, looking at the glass case.

"Two doughnuts and a coffee to go, please," he said to Nicole, who nodded and walked around to the back to get some more coffee beans. The man looked about the cafe. In the corner, he spotted a couple and did a double take. The woman looked strangely familiar.

"Something wrong?" came a voice from behind the counter and the man looked over to see Hillary standing there. He leaned on the counter, frowning at the young woman.

"That girl," he said, pointing. "Do you know who she is?" Hillary's eyes widened.

"Do you know who she is?" The man glanced at her and nodded.

"Yes. She's supposed to be dead." Hillary blanched.

"What?!" The man nodded again.

"She was proclaimed dead by her parents about a month ago." The man was biting his lip now, as if unsure what to do. "Wow, to see her after so long... How long have you known about this?"

"I never knew! My husband brought her home one day, saying he found her in an alleyway. She was horribly tortured. Poor thing doesn't remember a thing." The man's head snapped around, eyes wide.

"What do you mean, she doesn't remember a thing?" Hillary eyed the man.

"How do you know her?" The man stood, looking back over to the young woman, who was locked at the lips with a young man with dirty blonde hair and striking features.

"Forget the coffee," he muttered, handing Hillary a five pound note. "Keep the change." With that, he left in a hurry, rushing down the sidewalk and around the corner. He entered a building that nobody else on the street noticed and headed through the dimly lit room and out through the back door. Pulling out a wand, he tapped the bricks and stood back as they opened into a street filled with people. Pushing his way through, he opened a door marked Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes and asked to see the owners. The young woman at the desk pointed to the back and the man walked through the curtain. Two tall redheaded men looked up from hovering over a bottle filled with unidentifiable liquid.

"Kingsley, what's going on?" the first twin exclaimed, straightening up. Kingsley glanced back out the door.

"You'll never believe what I saw." The second twin smiled.

"A Death Eater in frilly knickers?"

"A dog wearing a bikini?" the other one guessed and Kingsley glared at them both.

"Hermione Granger, alive!" Both twins paled, the humor knocked out of them in a single blow.

"He...Hermione?" the first one stuttered.

"She's dead!" exclaimed the other one.

"I saw her in that cafe off of Henry and Greyton! I swear, it was her that I saw, only a bit different. Gained weight and a couple of scars, but it was her alright!" He turned to one of them. "Fred, you need to contact Dumbledore immediately. Not your brother yet, I want to be absolutely certain it was her that I saw. Get Dumbledore down here immediately!"

* * *

Harry, Ron, Ginny and Blaise followed Draco as they sat down at the Slytherin table for dinner. Draco had been uncommonly quiet throughout the course of the day and it was starting to scare them. 

"Are you ok, Draco?" Ginny asked softly, touching his arm. He glanced at her, shrugging her off.

"No. So stop asking." He sat down at the table and glowered at his plate, mumbling to himself incoherently. Ron glanced at Harry and made a crazy sign with his hands, but Harry shook his head. Now was definitely not the time. People began eating, talking amongst themselves. Draco ate a bit and then, as he was getting up to leave, stopped, watching, like everyone else, as a lone owl floated into the room, resting in front of Dumbledore. The Hall was silent as Dumbledore reached down and opened the letter. For a second he was motionless as obvious shock and disbelief flushed his face. He handed the letter to Professor McGonagall, who, at looking at it, fainted. The Great Hall gasped as Hagrid moved forward, scooping up the teacher. Dumbledore stared at the letter again and then, with a quick whispered talk with Snape, whose eyes widened in the same shock, nodded and Dumbledore swept out of the Hall. Snape fixed the students with a glare.

"Get back to your meals," he snapped and they all fell into whispers on what could possibly be in the letter. Draco slowly sank to his chair, frowning. Harry glanced at Hagrid, who was running out of the Hall with McGonagall in his hands.

"What do you think happened?" he said.

"I don't know, but it looked important and shocking, for McGonagall to go like that," Ron muttered. Blaise couldn't help but sneer at him. The stupidity of the statement, and any other statement made by Weasley, was the bane of his existance. He hated hearing people pointing out the obvious, especially the redheaded idiot he was forced to be around for Red's sake. He let out a self-suffering sigh and Ginny gave him a gaze that clearly said, "Don't say a word, Blaise." He contented himself with a glare at Weasley before standing and leaving with Draco. Ginny sighed and motioned to the others.

"Well, no use waiting around in here. Come on, let's go to the Hospital wing and find out what happened!"


	5. Ignorance Is Bliss

_Amos Bronson Alcott_

_To be ignorant of one's ignorance is the malady of the ignorant.

* * *

_

Elly sat down on the couch with Charles, smiling as some of his guest walked by. The party was winding down and Elly could feel herself growing restless. Normally at this time, she would be outside, wandering around looking for her dinner. It was only eleven at night, so she was wide awake. Charles got up and saw the last of his guests to the door, closing it behind them and sighing in relief.

"Thought they'd never leave," he said, coming back over and sitting down next to her. "Did you enjoy yourself?" Elly smiled and nodded, tucking a wisp of hair behind her ear.

"It was nice to meet more of your friends. It seems like you're a popular person." He shrugged.

"I like knowing people. It's nice to have friends everywhere. You never know when you'll need them." Elly nodded and sighed.

"I wish had so many friends. Maybe I did, I don't know." He nodded, hugging her tightly.

"I'm sure that, whoever you were, you had a lot of friends. You seem like a brilliant person to me. I'd have liked to have known you before your accident..." Elly nodded, staring at his face.

"I wish I did," she whispered as he leaned in, their lips touching and this time, she didn't shrink away. She moved closer to him, cupping his face in her hands. _Why couldn't I have known you before?_ she thought bitterly as they fell back onto the couch. She gasped slightly and he pulled away, blushing faintly.

"Sorry about that," he mumbled, getting off her. "Forgot that you were pregnant..." She silently cursed herself for being so stupid. She was pregnant, of course! She was sitting on a couch, snogging Charles, while some tiny little person was growing inside her. And this person wasn't Charles' baby, which was probably why he backed off so quickly. She let out a sigh of frustration, sitting up.

"It's unfair," she murmured, leaning her forehead against his. "I have this thing attached to me and I don't even remember it happening..." A thought came to her all of a sudden and she bit her lip. "I... what if... no, it's a bad idea... I shouldn't."

"What?" Charles asked, sitting up. Elly got up and paced, running her hands through her hair.

"I... what if I, well..." She stopped and looked at him. "I mean, what if I got a, well you know... an abortion..." The last part was said softly, as if it were some ugly curse word nobody should say. Charles stood up sharply, giving her a look of apprehension.

"Elly, we don't know each other that well for you to be going on like that. It's a child you're talking about..." She stamped her foot down.

"I don't want it!" she told him. "I never asked to be dumped in an alleyway!! I never asked to be impregnated!! I want out! I'm seventeen, I don't have time to live like this!!" Charles looked uncertain.

"Elly, I don't know. Maybe you should talk to Nicole and Hillary about this. It's a big decision, abortion…" She sighed, moving into his arms.

"Yeah... I guess I'm just tired or something..." She looked up at him, smiling wanly. "I should think about this in the morning, huh?" He nodded, leaning down and kissing her.

* * *

Draco felt an awful pain in his head and he stumbled, clutching his head and moaning. Blaise reached out and grabbed him, frowning.

"Draco?" But Draco wasn't listening. The pain increased and he sank to the ground, a rattling sound erupting from his throat. Images were flashing across his mind at rapid speed. First, a small cafe, then a room in an apartment, and then a street corner, the outside of an apartment building, a disco...

Draco let out a cry of pain, pressing his head against the floor as he sunk his fingers into his scalp. More images. A young woman and man, kissing in a booth, three women walking down a hall, the same young woman shivering in an alleyway...

"GEH OUT!!!" he roared, clawing at his head. But the images kept coming. A dark hospital room, the sound of blood, a soft, muffled scream, the groan of a woman as a man pressed against her, kissing her passionately. "NO!! GEH OUT!!! GEH OUT!!!" He wanted them gone. He didn't know what they meant. He didn't know who these people were, as their faces were misted out. All he could see were more images, incoherent, unreadable, yet, deep down, they held meaning to his soul. Yet he wanted nothing to do with them.

"Draco, calm down! Draco, it's just a headache!!" Draco blinked, the pain gone and the images also. He looked up to see Blaise and the Gryffindors standing around him, looking slightly unnerved. Shaking uncontrollably, he stood, shoving their helping hands away.

"Don touch meh," he snapped. He could see the looks on their faces. The same look he got from everyone else.

Draco Malfoy was going mad. Stark raving mad.

Spinning on his heel, he continued towards the infirmary, only barely listening to the sound of shoes following him.

_You see! They don't want you!! They'll desert you as soon as they believe you're crazy._

"I'm not crazy."

_You're talking to yourself._

"I'm na talkin to mahself. I'm talkin to 'ou. Now go way."

_You need to accept the fact that you will be turned into the Ministry sooner or later unless you come back to me. You're loyalty to me is being questioned, Draco. Do you truly want to serve me like you took the Dark Mark for, or are you a coward?_

"I'm na a cowar. Go Away!"

_I will find you, Draco. If you continue to disobey me, measures will have to be taken. You wouldn't want anything to happen to your dear mother, now would you?_

Draco froze and the others ran into him. "If 'ou touch er, I'll kill 'ou," he hissed.

_Are you threatening Lord Voldemort?_

"Don't touch er!"

_Then do as I say!_

The voice disappeared and Draco snarled, punching the wall in anger. Ginny gasped and Blaise grabbed the enraged blonde before he could do more damage to himself. Draco practically lifted them both off the ground before they managed, with Ron and Harry's help, to wrestle him to the ground, with Ginny sitting on his back while Ron had his legs and Harry and Blaise had an arm each. The blonde thrashed, swearing at them in words even they didn't know existed. When he finally relaxed, Ginny got off of him, getting down on her knees to look him in the eye.

"Draco, you're not well," she whispered and he shook his head, eye wild and blood shot.

"He'll kill er," he yelled. "He'll killer!! Le me GO!!!!" He began thrashing again and Ginny jumped back on top of him. Ron rolled his eyes.

"This is ridiculous!!" he shouted, pulling out his wand. "_Stupefy!!"_ Draco went limp and they released him. Ginny put a hand to her mouth, shaking her head.

"What do we do?" she asked softly. Ron stared at her.

"He's losing it, Ginny!" he exclaimed. "Look at him! He's been getting more and more psycho every day! He's talking to himself and then spouts off nonsense about You-Know-Who!! How do we know he isn't still doing work for him?!" Blaise shoved Ron, knocking him back into the wall.

"Why don't you fuck off, Weasley," he hissed, fingering his wand. "You've said enough." Ron was about to retaliate when Harry grabbed him, eyes on Blaise.

"Don't Ron," he said. "Come on, let's go back to the common room and cool down." With one last look at Blaise, they turned around and Ron stormed off, Harry following him. Ginny stared after them and then glared at Blaise.

"That wasn't even necessary," she snapped at him and he rolled his eyes, kneeling down beside Draco's unconscious body. "Blaise! I know he can be a bit dull at points, but he's my brother and I need you to stop trying to pick fights with him every chance one comes up!!"

"Shut up, Red," he hissed. "I don't need you breathing down my neck too. I'll treat Weasley however the hell I want, no matter what relations he is to you." Ginny kicked his boot.

"Stand up." She kicked his boot again and he grabbed her leg, yanking furiously and watching her hit the floor heavily.

"Don't do that again," he hissed. "I'm not in the best mood right now, Red. So hitting me isn't going to help. I love you, but for Merlin's sake, leave me the hell alone!" She had tears in her eyes, but he ignored them. He didn't have time for her emotions.

* * *

Nicole ran in, waving an envelope at Elly and Arnold. He wasn't sick anymore, so Hillary got to go home.

"It's here!! The results!! They're here!!" Elly, contrary to what she should have been, only shrugged, turning back to the oven and taking out some biscuits. Nicole gaped at her. "Didn't you hear me, El? The results from the Hospital!! They're here!!" Elly sighed and took the envelope. Suddenly, the prospect of knowing who she was didn't appeal to her so much anymore. Taking out the sheets of paper, she looked at the first one. It was a faxed birth certificate. Taking a deep breath, she read the name.

_"Hermione Jane Granger,_" she read, blinking. "Hermione?" It sounded foreign, like tin on the top of her mouth. "My name is Hermione Granger..." Even Nicole looked shocked.

"You're name is Hermione?" Elly looked up.

"Apparently."

"What else does it say?"

"Just birthday and stuff. My parents' names: Harold B. Granger. Marie A. Granger. Harold and Marie... wow, it sounds so... odd. Their address is on the next paper... oh my God."

"What is it, Elly?" Elly's face had gone pale as she stared at the paper in front of her.

"It says that they declared me legally dead about a month ago..." Nicole gasped and Arnold helped Elly into a seat, getting her a glass of water.

"There there, dear," he said, handing her the glass. "Maybe that's the reason nobody came for you. You were thought dead by your parents. Does it say how you 'died'?" Elly shook her head, snapping out of her trance and flipping furiously through the pages. She stopped upon reaching another one. Nicole picked it up.

"It says that a marriage agreement was forged between two families. Grangers and Malfoys, it says. It was an arranged marriage, El." Elly put her head in her hands, groaning. "It says that you were married last June and then went to school. It doesn't say which school, though. How strange. Oh baby, an arranged marriage!!" As she moved to hug Elly, a small piece of paper floated to the floor. Arnold picked it up and looked at it.

"I think this is the wedding photo," he said softly, handing the picture to Elly, who snatched it away. In the photo were two people. She stood to the right, dressed in a stunning, floor length ivory wedding dress. Her hair was done up, but it could not pull away from the tear stained face of herself. Elly gasped at how miserable she looked in the photo, as if she had been crying for an eternity. She then turned to the other occupant of the photo. He stood almost seven feet tall, with unnaturally blonde hair and extremely pale skin. He was wearing strange attire, black robes instead of a tuxedo. He was extremely handsome, but there was an aura about him that took her breath away. It was his eyes.

Stormy grey, they pulled her in to their depths, even through the picture. She felt like her soul had been pierced and she was being read like a book. The eyes were narrowed, with an evil look that could not be satisfied. He looked no more happier to be there than she did.

"My God, what was I thrown into," she whispered. For these eyes were deathly familiar.

These were the eyes that haunted her dreams and always appeared on the face of her murderer.


	6. Prove the Dead Wrong

_Albert Einstein_

_No amount of experimentation can ever prove me right; a single experiment can prove me wrong.

* * *

_

The car pulled into the driveway and Nicole turned off the engine. The three women sat in the car silently, watching the old English house in apprehension. Elly shifted.

"Maybe we shouldn't do this," she said quietly. "I mean, it'll be a shock to them if they found out that their dead daughter came back to life but doesn't know who they are." Hillary shook her head, getting out of the car.

"They deserve to know that you aren't dead, Elly," she said. "Or should I say Hermione." Elly immediately shook her head, stepping onto the driveway.

"Elly. I'm Elly. She's," pointing to the picture she held in her hand of the wedding, "Hermione." They walked to the door and stopped. Elly took a deep breath and knocked on the door. There was silence, then a scrabbling noise followed by harsh whispered words. Then the door opened. A tall, bearded man in odd clothing stood in the doorway, blue eyes behind half-moon spectacles sparkling. Elly took a step back, not knowing what to expect but the man merely smiled.

"Mrs. Malfoy, we've been expecting you," he said and she jumped.

"Excuse me?" she said. "My name isn't Malfoy."

"You're married name is Malfoy, but we will get into that later. Please, come in. I do believe your parents are anxious to see you." She bit her lip, unsure as she stepped past the man and into the foyer of the house. She was about to turn around and ask who he was when someone grabbed her, pulling her into a tight hug.

"Hermione!!" a woman screamed, hugging her. Elly squirmed and then patted the woman on the back awkwardly. "Oh, Hermione!!" The woman held her back at an arms length and Elly could see there were tears in her eyes. "Oh, we thought we lost you!!" Elly opened her mouth to say something and then sighed, gently taking the woman's hands and pushing them off her.

"I'm sorry, but could you please call me Elly," she whispered. "Hermione still sounds... foreign." The woman stared at her for the longest time and then broke down into sobs. A tall dark skinned man came in and helped her to a seat and Hillary recognized him as the man from the cafe. Elly felt a twinge of guilt at seeing the woman cry, but there was nothing she could do about that. She was still very insecure about the whole process. The bearded man in the funny clothing merely motioned for them to take a seat in the living room. Nicole, Elly and Hillary, looking extremely unnerved, shuffled in and sat down on the couch, holding each others hands. The woman had been escorted up the stairs and out of sight by another man, who looked back at Elly for a second, a look of guilt on his face. Over what, Elly was at a loss.

"My name is Albus Dumbledore," the older man said. "I was, until about a month ago, you're headmaster at your school."

"Why was I declared dead," Elly interrupted. "I mean, what happened?" Albus looked unsure and stroked his long beard.

"That will have to wait until later. At present time, I must find out what you remember about before your black out." Elly frowned.

"Who told you... well, it doesn't matter really. I don't remember anything from before. But I don't know you well enough to tell you more than that." Albus nodded understandingly, turning to the black man.

"As we only know as much as Mr. Malfoy revealed to Severus, I do believe the next course of action is to take Mrs. Malfoy to Hogwarts and reintroduce her to Mr. Potter and the two Weasley siblings. They ought to know that their friend is alive." Elly stood.

"First off, don't call me Mrs. Malfoy, call me Elly," she snapped. "Secondly, I'm not going anywhere. I would like to know about my life before the black out, seeing as you all seem to know things I don't!" Albus ignored her, pulling out a shoe from his pocket.

"Kingsley, please make sure these two women get back to their homes safely," he said. "Elly is it? Please touch the shoe." Elly stared at him like he was crazy. He was crazy.

"This is absurd. I have the wrong house. I'm leaving." She reached down to take her bag when Albus took her hand and placed it on the shoe. Before she could protest, she felt a tugging around her navel and screamed as she was sucked up. The world around her was spinning and she clutched the shoe for dear life. The crazy man named Albus was merely smiling and then released the shoe. Screaming, Elly felt herself hit ground. Stumbling to her feet, she backed away from Albus, who was dusting off his robes.

"Who the hell are you!!" she shouted at him, not paying attention to where she was. "What the HELL DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!?!"

"Ms. Elly, if you please look around you. This conversation should be discussed elsewhere, not in public." Elly looked about herself, jaw dropping. It was a town in a valley, with short buildings and houses around it. People dressed in similarly weird clothing stared at Elly, frowning and gaping. Several were whispering, others merely staring.

Her eyes rolled in her head and she fell to the floor, unconscious.

* * *

Draco stood in front of the Head Commons fireplace, staring at it with uncertainty. 

_That's right. Come to me, you little twit._

"I don ave to."

_Yes you do!! I am your master and you will obey me!! What do you think will happen if you don't? The Ministry of Magic is on your heels and you'll go to Azkaban immediately. Those so called friends think you're crazy!_

"I'm na crazy. I know wha I'm doin."

_Then do it! Come to me and take the seat of power you deserve! All will be forgiven if you just come to me. You have my word._

Draco looked back over his shoulder at the door. He could just walk away. He could just walk to the Great Hall and join everyone for lunch and then go to the rest of his classes.

_Why? So that people can stare at you? They all want you in Azkaban, Draco! They want you dead, the mudblood and muggle lovers all of them!! Take your place at my side as my heir and I will make sure you see them suffer for their insubordination!!_

Draco shivered and took a handful of floo powder, stepping into the fireplace. He had just opened his mouth to speak when the portrait door slammed open and, to his horror, Ministry Aurors rushed in, wands raised. Blaise and Severus were behind them, eyes wide upon realizing what he was about to do. He then giggled, dropping the powder.

"Guess ou were righ. The Minisry _was_ righ on my eels."

* * *

Elly moaned and her eyes fluttered open as her hand came to her head. Her vision was slightly blurry as she struggled to sit up. Several hands helped her into a sitting position and she blinked around. 

"Where am I?" she murmured groggily, her vision coming into focus. She sat on a bed in what appeared to be a large hospital room. Crazy Albus stood at the foot of her bed, eyes twinkling behind the weird glasses. Three people sat around her. Two were redheaded and one had raven hair. The redheaded girl looked like she had been crying heavily and was clutching Elly's hand tightly. The two boys were deathly pale, as if they had seen a ghost. She took a double take on the raven haired boy. He had a scar on his forehead that was shaped exactly like a thunderbolt. She frowned. _Where have I seen that before?_ she thought to herself, searching her memory. _Probably a dream..._ She then noticed a boy lurking in the shadows. He was dark skinned, so he was hard to identify, but it was easy to see he was staring at her. She shifted and turned to Crazy Albus. "Where am I?" she repeated and the girl let out a sob. Glancing at her in a confused manner, Elly shifted again, pulling her hand away gently. Too many people had clung to her today.

"You are in the Hospital wing of Hogwarts," he replied and she frowned. _Hogwarts? Where the hell was Hogwarts?_ She opened her mouth to say something when the redheaded boy opened his.

"You're supposed to be dead!" he blurted out, eyes wide with disbelief. She eyed him critically.

"I suppose I am," she snapped at him. "Maybe I should be maimed and quartered also, would that suit you and about every other person I've met today?" The young man's eyes only widened. "How did I get here? I remember touching thi-"

"Ms. Elly, I would like you to meet the three closest people that your former self was in contact with for the past seven years of your life," Albus interrupted. "Mr. Ronald Weasley," he motioned to the redheaded boy, "Ms. Ginerva Weasley, his sister," the girl, who was still staring at Elly with horror and relief, "and Mr. Harry Potter." The raven haired boy moved in his seat, studying Elly closely and making her uncomfortable. She shifted once more.

"Um...hello," she muttered and tears sprang to Ginerva's eyes.

"Merlin, she really doesn't remember..." Elly stared at her for a moment and then pushed off the sheets, standing. The others stood also, watching her closely.

"I want to go home. I don't know how I got here, but I want to leave _now_." Albus shook his head.

"Ms. Elly, I think it would do you some good to talk to these three. They might help you remember who you we-"

"I don't want to remember!!" she yelled at them, stamping her foot down. It was a sudden thought, but she realized it was right. From what she kept hearing from people, she really didn't want to remember what happened to her. She didn't want to know why she had been tortured and then left for dead in an alleyway. She didn't want to know these people who wore strange clothes and kept telling her she was supposed to be dead. And she definitely didn't want to know the man she had been set up and married to against her will. He was probably the cause of all her problems. "I want to go home!! I have a date with a great guy and I have great friends and I don't want to remember any of this or any of you! I don't know you and I don't want to!! Just TAKE ME HOME!!!" The girl, Ginger or something, was sobbing now and the boys were staring at her with horrified disbelief, as if they could not understand why she was saying these things. "I don't want to know who I was, because I'm fine with whom I am. I DON'T WANT TO BE HERMIONE GRANGER!!!!" Tears were rolling down her own cheeks and out of the corner of her eye, she realized that the black boy had disappeared. But she didn't care. She wanted out. Pushing past these people, she headed for the door.

"Elly, where do you think you're going!?"

"HOME!!!" She heard footsteps behind her and began running. There had to be an exit somewhere! Turning a corner, she took the steps two at a time and flew down a corridor. Rounding a corner, she ran right into someone else who was running. She fell to the ground and shook her head, looking past the person to see a rabble of men in robes rushing after whoever it was she had bumped into. Looking over, she froze, locking eyes with a single grey one.

He was not like the picture at all. His hair was the same, but she could tell it was dyed, as the roots were a different color. There were scars on his face that had not been in the picture and an eye patch covered his left eye. But his gaze was the same. Piercing. Grey. Her nightmares.

"They were right," she whispered in horror. "They were telling the truth..."

Shock ran across his otherwise striking features. She wanted to look away, but for some morbid reason found herself unable to. She was shaking violently and she suddenly realized that it was fear running through her. She backed into the wall, eyes still on him. He wasn't moving and there was a blank look on his face, as if his mind had been wiped clean of any thought. And then he erupted, lunging at her. She screamed and scrambled to get away, but he knocked her down, fingers closing around her throat.

"You're dead," he hissed in a voice that rattled with anger and pain. "You're dead!"

"Please," she gasped as his grip tightened. "Pl-"

"YOU'RE DEAD!!!" As she clawed at his hands, she could see something in his eye. It was unimaginable pain. It cut deep through her, along with a battling fear and crazed look. The man was obviously insane!

Suddenly, fear crept up his spine. Who was this woman? Why the hell did she look like...He reached for his wand. Maybe it was a trick. He pulled it out and saw her look at it, a flicker of confusion flashing in her eyes at the slim black shaft.

"Whould I cry?" she gasped, looking confused at her own words. His eyes widened.

"_STUPEFY!!_" she heard thirty different people yell and the man was blown off her and into the wall. He slid down to the floor, knocked out. She scrambled to her feet, eyes wide as her hands came to her bruised neck. The three people from the Hospital wing and Crazy Albus were the first to arrive, followed by the rabble of men and women. She pressed herself against the wall, whimpering.

"Please," she whispered. "Please, just take me home...I just want to go home..."

* * *

**Sneak peak at the next chappie for someone who can tell me where "Would you cry?" came from. HINT: it's in The Suffering of Three Rings of Marriage!!**

**ATTENTION: Ok, let me make something clear. for you annonymous reviewers, please leave an email address so I can atleast send this to you. I have gotten some reviews already with the correct answer, but no address. I can't send this if there isn't an address. **

**Sorry for the long wait, by the way. Took a while to get it back from my beta (Ayah, hint hint.) JK, I love you, babe!**

**Hope you enjoyed!!**


	7. Logical Feelings

_David Borenstein_

_Feelings are not supposed to be logical. Dangerous is the man who has rationalized his emotions.

* * *

_

Ron, Harry and Ginny sat in Dumbledore's office, watching as Hermione, or Elly, paced the length of the office, fingering her neck, which was beginning to show signs of purple and black swelling. They were alone, as Dumbledore had insisted that Hermione talk with them. However, Hermione didn't seem to want to talk. Ginny watched with a distressed look and finally stood, taking Hermione's hand gently.

"Hermione, wo-"

"It's Elly," she snapped back, shaking Ginny off. A hurt look appeared on Ginny's face but she replaced it with a look of indifference and proceeded.

"Elly… why don't you sit down? You've been walking back and forth for a while, and I'm sure we can talk if you would just-"

"Listen?" Hermione/Elly interrupted, glaring. "Well, I don't need to. I told you already, I don't want my old life. I've seen glimpses of it and it doesn't look so great." Ron stood.

"You can't base that statement on anything!" he exclaimed and she fixed him with a stare.

"Oh really, Ronald or whoever you are? I just found out that, not only was I proclaimed dead by my parents for reason that everyone fails to tell me, but I was married off to a nutcase who tried to kill me!!" Harry shook his head.

"He wasn't crazy when you were… well, when you were normal."

"Normal? You call this around me _normal_?!" She stormed over to a picture and, picking it up, shook it at him. "The photo is moving!!! The paintings are moving _and_ talking! Everyone is wearing clothes that I don't even want to know where they came from and there is some sort of voodoo going on around here! THIS ISN'T NORMAL!!"

"Then what is normal, _Elly_?" Ron hissed. "Why the hell are you so against learning who you are?"

"Because this life tried to _kill me_!!!" she shouted at him. "I am _dead_ to this life. Why do you think I don't remember anything?? I don't want to remember someone torturing me and then tossing me into an alleyway!! I don't want to remember being married off to a lunatic against my will!! I've seen pictures of myself and everything I see, I don't like!! I have apparently had nightmares about this place and everything ends in DEATH!!" Her chest was heaving and her eyes were filled with tears. "Look," she whispered, lowering her voice at the looks on their faces. "I know you guys are supposed to be my best friends when I had my memory, but I don't. And I need you guys to understand that. I have friends back home in London that I actually remember because I met them after the accident. I met someone that actually likes me and won't try and kill me. I'm sorry, but I need to forget this place, because everywhere I look, I see myself dying, and I don't want to remember that." Ginny had tears in her eyes and she was shaking her head.

"This isn't happening," she whispered, closing her eyes. "We found her. She's alive, but she won't wake up... She won't come back..." Elly wanted to comfort the young woman, but she held back, instead moving for the door when it opened. The black boy from the infirmary stood there, staring at Elly. She shifted uncomfortably.

"Um, could you move?" she asked and the young man crossed his arms across his chest.

"Why are you afraid of returning to who you really are?"

"I'm not afraid, I'm annoyed. Now get out of my way."

"Eventually, you'll have to face up to it, and then, it might not be to pretty." She scowled. There was something about this man that unnerved her. It was like he could see into her mind and knew exactly what she was thinking. She shifted.

"Get out of the way."

"Can't. One more person you have to see."

* * *

Draco had his head pressed into the corner of the dark, dank cell that he had been placed into by the Ministry members. Dumbledore had insisted on him being allowed to stay in the castle until his mother arrived with their lawyer. They had thrown him into the lowest cell, with five guards stationed outside. But this was lost on him, as he argued again with the relentless voice.

_Why are you not here?_

"They caw meh befoe I cou get ou." (for those who don't understand this, "They caught me before I could get out")

_You're a disappointment, Draco. You're a very big disappointment and I'm disgusted to have picked you as my heir. You've brought about my wrath, Draco. You will be punished. You had better hope your mother has a good hiding place. She'll need it. You have betrayed the Dark Lord for the side of the Light. You will be punished._

Draco moaned, sliding to the floor as tears poured down the one side of his face. He didn't even hear the door open and close behind him. But he did hear a woman's gasp. Spinning around, he froze. There she was again. An apparition. A daydream. Maybe he was going crazy.

He laughed. "She's na real," he snapped and she frowned, backing away from him.

"What do you mean, I'm not real." He shook his head, still coughing and laughing as he rested his forehead against the wall.

"Go way. You're na real," he said again. "You're dead."

"You really are mad, aren't you? Why did my parents marry me off to you?"

"She's na real." Her eyes softened. He must have been extremely traumatized in his life for him to be acting like this. He just kept mumbling that she wasn't real while shaking his head. He was probably mentally disabled. Sighing, she moved forward and touched his shoulder. He spun around, glaring. Startled, she stumbled back into the wall, where he advanced on her. She tried to press herself against it as he stopped only a hairs breadth away, face deathly close. She was shaking uncontrollably as his eye pierced hers. "You're na real," he hissed. "Ou're dead!"

"Please," she managed out. "Please, just listen to me. I don't really know who you are, but I can see that you've been hurt." Something flickered in the depths of him.

"Who are ou?" She blinked.

"I'm Elly, but you may know me as Hermione." Pain flashed across the scarred face and a fist pounded right next to her head, causing her to let out a small scream.

His brain lapsed. And he snapped.

"Ou're DEAD!! I WATCHED OU DIE!!! I WATCHED!!" Tears were coming down harder now as the fists continued to come, never making contact with her. "I SAW OU!! OU DIED!!! OU DIED!!!"

"STOP THIS!!" she screamed, cowering in front of him. "STOP THIS NOW!!!" Instantly, he stopped yelling. She looked up at him, shocked by his outburst. _What had happened to you to make you act like this?_ she thought again. Standing carefully, she bit her lip. "Why are you acting this way?" She backed up again as he stepped closer to her, reaching up and touching her cheek. He leaned in but stopped when she slapped him. "Don't do that," she hissed and his hand came up to strike her, but he didn't. He was confused, broken... He reached up again, tentative this time.

"Please," he begged in a soft voice. "Please." Her eyes widened. He was begging her to let him kiss her. She shook her head, feeling tears in her eyes but unsure as to why.

"No," she whispered. "I don't know you. And I don't think I want to..." She shoved past him and was just reaching for the door handle when he spun her around, crushing his lips to hers. She gasped at the rough desperateness of the kiss, but also at how gentle, soft and willing he was being. He was pleading for her to kiss him back. Something from within her bade her kiss him back.

Some distant memory surfaced and the scene of a bedroom floated by, with her sitting up in bed while talking to a man, who was lying down beside her. The man pulled her into a kiss, which quickly escalated into- _NO!_

She squashed it with a fire, shoving him away. "No," she spat, glaring at him. "No." With that, she flung open the door and swept out. She did not notice him as he curled up into a ball in the corner of the dark cell and sobbed brokenly. Not for the loss of a kiss. No, he did not weep for that.

He wept because she was alive and didn't even know it.

* * *

It was five hours later and Elly stood in Nicole's apartment, alone. She was staring at the picture in her hand of her former self and this Draco Malfoy. She sighed and threw it on the table.

"Today has been too weird..." A knock came to the door and she turned around. Walking over, she opened it and smiled.

"Wow, you don't know how glad I am to see you," she said to Charles, letting him in. He kissed her cheek and handed her a bottle of what looked to be very expensive wine.

"For you, Madame," he said and she smiled walking over to the kitchen and looking for glasses. "So, Nicole called, saying you'd found out who you were." She returned with the glasses and sighed.

"I don't want to talk about it," she whispered.

"Why? Did something bad happen?" He poured the dark amber liquid into the glasses and she curled up on the couch.

"Everything bad happened. I'm still hoping it was some sort of some horrible nightmare."

"It couldn't have been that bad."

"They're all crazy," she told him. She wanted to convince herself of this, also. She wanted to convince herself that what had happened at the asylum she had been to never happened. "All of them. I think they gave me the wrong information." He laughed.

"What could have happened that could have been so bad?" She rolled her eyes and shrugged.

"You won't believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

"Well, first, when I got to the house, there was this really old man there dressed in weird robes and stuff. Everyone there was acting really strangely and then the guy asked me to touch this shoe he pulls out of his pocket. He makes me touch it and suddenly, I'm not at the house anymore but I'm in this town. I guess I passed out, because I woke up the next second and I was in a hospital with all of these weird people saying how I'm supposed to be dead and everything. I start leaving and this man, who apparently I'm married to, tries to kill me. I end up being taken to this room where the paintings actually move!! It's like a magic box or something! It was so bizarre! It must have been a dream, right?" She turned to Charles and was startled at the look on his face. It was dark, as if something had suddenly occurred to him. He was staring at Elly weirdly.

"What did they say your real name was?" he asked in a voice that wasn't his own. She frowned.

"Henny Granger or something like that."

"Hermione Granger?" She stared at him, shocked.

"Why, yes? But how-"

"I have to go," he said suddenly, standing. "I just remembered something." Elly stood and walked him to the door.

"Are you sure you're alright?" she asked him and he nodded.

"I'm fine, I just remembered I have another meeting." He kissed her on the lips, but there was something different about the kiss. Something reserved. Like he was holding back on her. He pulled away and swept out the door, leaving her watching his back in confusion.

"What do you know?" she whispered.


	8. Anything Thought is Anything Dreaded

**Ok, I think you all deserve to get this, after how long it took me. Ayah, I know you haven't really given this an ok, but the readers are waiting, so I'm just putting it out. Could you still send me comments on the Harry/Draco scene so I can put into another chapter and also for Chappie 9. As for my readers, sorry this took so long!!!**

**Enjoy!!**

_George Sand_

_There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved._

_

* * *

_"Master, a situation you are unaware of has come up." 

"And that would be? Do not toy with me, I have several things on my mind, one being the question of why haven't my Death Eaters been trying to get my heir out of the clutches of the DAMN MINISTRY?!?!" The room rang and the robed figures took a step back from the chair. "What is it that you assume I am unaware of?"

"Master, the woman your heir was married to..."

"What is it?"

"She is alive, my lord." Silence reigned in the room, followed by a low hiss.

"How. Is. This. _Possible_?" They all took a step back again.

"The Ministry and her muggle parents have declared her not dead, my lord."

"Really?" There was an unsettling silence. "Does Draco know of this?"

"We do not know, my lord."

"Leave me." The robed figures slipped out, leaving their master in the dark room. "Draco, you have been keeping things from me." There was silence and then a moan.

_Go way..._

"You kept from me the fact that your filthy little mudblood bitch of a wife has returned from the dead. Would you care to inform me how this is possible?"

_If ou touch er-_

"Now, now. Who said anything about touching her? I merely asked you a question."

_You basta! I'll kill ou if ou touch er!! Do ou ear me!!! I'LL KILL OU BEFO POTTA DOES!!!_

"Don't you threaten me. I was not going to do anything about this minor annoyance with you being locked up by the Ministry, but now that you have pissed me off, Draco Malfoy, I will make sure that you hear of what has happened to your precious mudblood. Be sure she is carefully watched, for she is carefully watched by my own. And this time, I will not make the mistake of assuming her death." A moan filled the room and the Dark Lord's eyes lit with a malicious fire that would not be quenched. Blood and fire danced as he summoned a Death Eater back into the room.

* * *

Draco lay on his back, eye closed as he tried not to think about his recently found wife and what could happen to her if he got taken to Azkaban. One of the Aurors guarding his cell in Hogwarts tapped on the bars, but he didn't move. 

"Oi, Malfoy. You've got visitors." His eye opened. _Who the hell would visit him?_ He sat up and groaned upon seeing Potter and Weasley walk up with another Auror. They asked if they could speak to Draco alone and the Auror, glancing at the man behind bars, walked off, muttering something of coming back to check on them. Potter eyed Draco.

"So, you really did lie to us then?" Draco could tell it wasn't supposed to be a question. He had screwed up big time and Potter was here for answers on why. Draco stood carefully, muscles sore.

"I neva promised ya anythin," he responded and Potter glared.

"We took you into our confidence and only to find that you were planning to sell us out," he spat and Draco approached the bars, glaring.

"And who's faul is dat, cause it cerpintly isn mine. Ah neva asked you ta trust meh, you jus did."

"How much did you tell Voldemort, you worm?" Draco flinched slightly and then groaned as a voice returned to his head.

_Who are you talking to, Draco?_

He tried ignoring it and turned back to Potter.

"Tha's none of our business."

_Oh, really? It isn't? _

"What the hell do you mean, it isn't his business, ferret?" Ron hissed. "You know things that could get Harry killed, so we want to know what you told V-Voldemort!" Draco cursed and spat at him.

"I didn't tell im nothin. I got enough ta worry bou withou Potta and da Dark Lor breathin down my neck."

_Oh, you will have a lot more than me to worry about, Draco. Keeping secrets from me?_

Things were going wrong. While trying to keep the Dark Lord from knowing about Potter, he was at the same time trying, though unsuccessfully, to get Potter to stop talking about whatever the hell he was getting at. Potter was going to ruin everything for himself if he kept trying to find out why Draco was shifting his loyalty from one foot to another.

"I trusted you only because of Hermione and Ginny, but now that I know what the hell you're about, I really hope you rot in here," Harry spat and Draco slammed his fist against the bar.

"Ah'm not abou anythin!! I'm na on any side, you asshole an if ou keep tellin meh tha I sellin you ou to the Dark Lor, than et's gonna appen, whether Ah wan et to appen or na!!!"

_So this is where your loyalties lie, Draco..._

Draco swore heavily and pounded his fist into the wall. Weasley nudged Potter.

"Let's go, Harry. Let him rot here like he should." Harry hesitated. Suddenly, a chill had run through his spine about what Draco had said.

"What do you mean, whether you want to or not?" he asked but Draco was not listening anymore. He had sat down on the edge of his bed and started picking at his bleeding knuckles, muttering to himself about loyalty. Ron shook his head.

"He's crazy, Harry. That's what happens to people who come in here. They go crazy!" Harry nodded. Common sense told him that Draco was a traitor and that he was crazy. But something inside him told him that Draco knew more than he was letting on.

* * *

Elly, for the next month and a half, returned to life as if she never found out who she was. She continued working for Arnold at the cafe, enjoying seeing friends come in and out, chatting it up with Nicole about everything. She and Charles were still going out, the incident between them forgotten. It was becoming serious now. Though they hadn't slept with each other, they had come dreadfully close to it but her pregnancy always got in the way. As an abortion was now out of the question, Elly was becoming more and more frustrated with her baby bump. 

Sighing, she pulled herself back into the present, rolling over in bed. Charles was lying beside her, stroking her hair gently.

"You look troubled," he said. She shrugged, running her fingers up and down his arm.

"I don't know. Just thinking, I guess. It's hard, you know." He nodded.

"You're past life," he said knowingly and she sighed again.

"I mean," she sat up in bed, biting her lip. "I mean, is this wrong? Me being here with you while I'm married? Is this an affair?" He sat up as well, kissing her exposed back, fingering her bra strap thoughtfully.

"Only if you think of it that way," he mumbled into her ivory skin and she turned back to look at him. "I mean, the man you married tried to kill you, right? He deserves to go to prison for being who he is. I think you deserve a bit of happiness." Something about the statement bothered her but she waved it by as nerves. She kissed him lightly on the lips and buried her face in his bare chest.

"Why did I have to be with that horrible man?!?! He's absolutely insane!!!"

"Did you ever find out why?"

"No, but I think I was married to him that way. I think that's what happened. I don't know, and I don't ever want to know. As soon as this baby is born, I'm shipping it off to him, getting a divorce and moving in with you." Charles laughed.

"One thing at a time, love," he told her and she got out of bed. Glancing at the time, she groaned and shuffled around for her skirt.

"I've got to go," she told him. "I promised Nicole I'd help her get to the airport this morning. She's leaving for America to visit with her sister for a few days and she's got an early flight." She pulled on her skirt and grabbed her shirt as Charles got out of bed and left the room.

After getting dressed, she walked down the stairs and into the kitchen of Charles' townhouse off campus of Oxford. He handed her a coffee mug with a lid and, kissing him goodbye, she left.

* * *

It could have been seen as a sign of betrayal. It could have been a sign of allegiance. Either way, it took Draco Malfoy to hell and back in less than a minute. 

He had been taken to Azkaban as Dumbledore could no longer fight to keep him there, not that it mattered. But it seemed that an Azkaban with Dementors would have been a better sentence than the Azkaban he was now in.

It was an Auror hotel. The place seemed to be crawling with them, it was like an ant city. They made rounds every thirty seconds and fed their prisoners only twice a day and it was barely a meal. And worst of all, Draco had been placed in a high security cell with none other than his now crazy aunt, Bellatrix Le something or other.

This was how he found himself in the trouble he now faced. Had he ignored Bella's ranting and taunting, he would have been ok, but he could not.

"Ah, ickle Drakey is all locked up in a cell in Azkaban with nothing more than a lisp and a fucked up face." Draco rolled over in the bed he was in, trying to ignore her and the voice in his head at the same time.

_Draco, you cannot hide from me forever_.

"I'm na hiding."

"Drakey's gonna get crazy like stupid little Barty Crouch."

"Shuup_." _

_Who the HELL do you think you are talking to_?

"I'm in Azkaban, I can't do anythin bou tha."

_Had you listened to me from the start and had not kept secrets from me, none of this would of happened, would it?_

"Does little Draco want to play murder the dolly? You can be the dolly."

"Go ang ourself, Bella. An if I had listened to ou, I would probably be dead."

"Who you talkin' to, Drakey? You goin' crazy?

_Silence, fool. You must get out of there, no matter what. Your time is running out and your punishment grows greater._

"Wha could ou possibly do to punish meh fo somethin I can't elp?"

_The mudblood, Draco. The mudblood._

"Does Draco want to play dolly?" His arm swung out and he heard the ominous crack of her jaw breaking. She shrieked, stumbling backwards as he leapt at her, eye bloodshot.

"SHUUP!!!" he roared, punching her. She struck back at him and scrambled to the jail bars, where she screamed for help before Draco yanked her back and proceeded to beat the crap out of her. Aurors flooded the room in an instant and Draco was hauled off the crazed woman and cursed heavily. During this time, he blacked out and then found himself standing in a dark hallway, five others with him. Turning his head, he was shocked to see Blaise, Ginny, Potter and Weasley standing there, ignoring him as they clustered around the fifth person. Leaning over Weasley, his eye widened in shock to see himself standing there, panting as if out of breath.

"Where are we?" his other self gasped. Ginny glanced around, still ignoring the real Malfoy.

"Somewhere below the hills behind the old Riddle house, I think," she responded. "This was where the portkey brought us."

"Told you not to touch it," Blaise spat, moving away from them to stand beside other Draco. Ginny narrowed her eyes at him.

"Well, I didn't see any other signs of escape, did you?"

"You don't touch miscellaneous objects, Weasel." Ron glared, reaching for his wand.

"Want to run that by me again, Zabini?" he hissed. Harry stepped in between them both, shaking his head.

"We don't need this right now, both of you," he snapped, giving Blaise a death glare, which the young man readily returned. "Fighting at a time like this isn't what we need." He then turned to Draco. "Alright, since you've been here, you lead." Draco glared at him but looked around himself.

"We're on da other side of da complex," he muttered. "Da Dark Lord'll be on dat side. Da cells are over der to, so Ermione will be kept over there." A dark look came over him and he held out his hand to Ginny. "Give meh our wand." She raised her eyebrows.

"Why?"

"Because, when we fine Smith, I'll kill im, na ou."

Suddenly, Draco was jerked into consciousness by an unnecessary bathing in cold water. Aurors were laughing at him as he spluttered and coughed, pulling himself into a sitting position. 

"Had a nice dream, Malfoy?" one of them spat and Draco shivered, pulling away from them. He didn't even remember having been knocked out.

* * *

Elly had been helping Nicole get her bags out of the trunk when it came to her. Her eyes just closed and she suddenly found herself standing in a dark, molding cell. Peering around in the darkness, she gasped to see herself lying on the ground, eyes watching the door with an empty look. As if she were deprived of all spirit. She was about to kneel down and have a closer look when the door swung open. Pushing herself into the darkness so as not to be seen, she watched as five people came in. The three people from the insane asylum, she thought to herself in shock. The black boy also and, to her horror, Draco Malfoy, her crazed husband. She was about to open her mouth when her other self shot up to her feet, uncertainty replacing her look. 

"What are you doin-" Elly gasped as Draco Malfoy grabbed her other self and crushed his lips to hers. Just like he had a month or so ago. Her other self stood motionless, evidently shocked at this. Then, to Elly's shock, kissed him back with just as much passion, wrapping her arms around his neck as tears began falling from her eyes. The others backed out of the room, closing the door slightly so that the couple had their privacy. They pulled apart and stared into each others eyes. Elly's other self bit her lip, pain and happiness shining in her eyes.

"Draco..."

"Elly?" Elly started, stumbling and catching herself before throwing herself out of the way of an oncoming taxi, who blared its horn at her as it sped past. Nicole grabbed her arm, eyes wide. "Elly, are you alright? You could have been killed!" Elly stared at her, shaking her head. "What happened?" Elly frowned, glancing back at the road.

"I honestly don't know, Nicole. I don't remember."


	9. Wisdom Is Not Always Wise

_Pierre Abelard_

_The beginning of wisdom is found in doubting; by doubting we come to the question, and by seeking we may come upon the truth._

_

* * *

_

Elly had stopped at the store to get some milk, as Nicole had run out and, as she was gone, Elly was in charge of shopping. Stepping out, she frowned, looking across the street. As cars drove by, Elly stared at a door at the corner of a building on the corner of the street. It was dark, with no apparent sign on it. The people on the street didn't seem to notice it at all. They merely walked past it, looking at the windows and doors on either side but never at that door. Then she saw a woman open the door and go in, but nobody on the street noticed. It was like it didn't exist. But Elly could see it, and this concerned her. Putting the milk into the car, she hurried across the busy street and stood in front of the door. Glancing around, she could see others walking past her, not realizing she was even standing in front of a door. Was she seeing the door then, but it wasn't there? Taking a deep breath, she reached up and opened the door, stepping inside the dim room. It looked like a pub, dark and mysterious. Nobody seemed to pay attention to her, though some nodded to her and then went back to conversations. Frowning, she looked around when a woman tapped her on the shoulder. Elly took a step back in shock at the woman's fingernails, which were long and gnarled.

"If you're looking for Diagon Alley, it's that way dear," the woman told her. "Just go through that door and tap your wand on the bricks." Before Elly could ask what in the world the woman was talking about, she disappeared, leaving Elly alone again.

Now, Elly had spent some time touring London with her friends and she knew for a fact that a Diagon Alley did not exist. Why would someone enter a street from the back of a pub? Sighing, she made her way to the back, pushing open the door. It was a dead end alleyway, with a brick wall blocking the way.

_This is Diagon Alley?_ she thought to herself as someone tapped her on the shoulder. She glanced behind her and stepped into the alleyway as a man walked past her. He pulled out a long slim stick and tapped the bricks. They sank in and suddenly, the whole wall began shifting. Elly gasped as the wall shifted completely and revealed a huge street filled with people in strange clothing. The street was lined with stores and, over the heads of people, Elly could see a tall building marked Gringots. The man glanced at her, smiling.

"First time to Diagon Alley, isn't it?" he said. Elly nodded absent-mindedly, gaping. The man laughed and then disappeared into the crowd.

"What is this place?" she whispered to herself, glancing behind her. Looking back at the street, she took a deep breath and let her curiosity guide her into Diagon Alley. Walking along the street, she just kept staring at all of the strange stores and creatures that hung from them. Outside what, to her, was apparently some sort of freak pet store stood a stand with a cage hanging from it. Inside the cage was a barn owl. She stood in front of the bird, staring in shock. "What kind of people are they?" she said, moving along. She reached a store with the words Ollivander's Wands on the outside. Frowning, she stepped in. It was quiet inside and Elly looked around at the shelves. They were stocked with long, thin boxes with different numbers on them. Reaching over, she picked one up and opened it. Inside sat a long mahogany stick with gold flowers imprinted into it.

"Who sells sticks? Who buys sticks?" Maybe she was in a mental institution where crazies went to pretend for a while and act like they were in a real town. Or alley… whatever. Picking up the stick, she laughed and waved it around. A breeze blew in and she was knocked over as several shelves were emptied of their stick boxes. Gasping, she threw down the stick, hand over her chest. A man hurried over from the back, eyebrows raised.

"Ms. Granger, what are you doing here?" the man asked, helping her to her feet. "Shouldn't you be in Hogwarts?" Elly stared at him. _Were they all in on this strange trickery?_ Deciding to play along, she shrugged.

"I… um, I got special permission," she lied, glancing around, then at the name on the box. "I needed a new wand, that's what it was! I've lost my wand!" The man raised an eyebrow at her and Elly tried her best to look innocent. It seemed to work, because the man shuffled back to his desk and flipped open a book.

"Let me see now… 15 inches, redwood, unicorn hair… well, lets find you a new wand." He pulled down several wands and shoved them towards Elly. "Try these." Unsure of what to do, Elly took out another stick and waved it. Red sparks shot out and she immediately dropped it, startled. The man was tapping his foot and she blushed, taking another wand.

After several wands, she sighed. "Look, this obviously isn't working. Maybe I should come back anoth-"

"NO!" the man, Mr. Ollivander she guessed, shouted, shoving another wand into her hand. "Try!!" Frustrated, she pointed it at a stack of books, expecting them to topple over from a gust of wind or incinerate from a spark. But instead, they began floating in the air, still neatly stacked. She felt a sensation run through her and stared at the stick in her hand, gasping. Mr. Ollivander nodded and took the wand.

"17 1/2 inches, oak, basilisk skin."

"Basilisk?" she asked, frowning. Mr. Ollivander nodded, writing these notes into a large book.

"The king of snakes," he said. "This was taken from the one found in Hogwarts. But you should know this, Ms. Granger! You were petrified by it in your second year!! Dear me, how quickly the young forget." Elly was grateful that he excused her for not remembering. She didn't want to be asked to recount the memory that she obviously hadn't gotten to as of yet. Mr. Ollivander handed her the stick and then what looked like a holster for the stick. "Pay me later, ok?" he said and Elly nodded. Saying goodbye, she left the store and stood outside, staring at the thing in her hand.

_Maybe I can't run from this,_ she thought. _Maybe I really should find out who I am..._ Sighing, she put the holster around her upper thigh and slipped the wand into it, pulling down her skirt so that it wasn't visible. She then continued down the street, gazing around at the certain stores. She stopped in front of another one. On it said Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. _Weasley? Oh right, that redheaded boy... do his parent's own the store?_ Biting her lip, she opened the door and entered, almost laughing at what she saw. It appeared to be a joke shop, only for the funny people that lived around here. She had decided to abandon the thought that they were crazy because, from what she was hearing, she apparently was one. She gasped and leaned down, staring into a glass case filled with small round fuzzy beings that sniffed at the case where her fingers were. They were multicolored and were absolutely adorable.

"Those are color changing Pigmy Puffs and they can be yours for only five galleons." Elly turned around and the man addressing her gasped. He was tall with red hair and freckles, wearing some sort of leather suit. He looked like he could be related to the young man at the school. He certainly was staring at her the same way.

"Hello," she greeted hesitantly, growing red under the man's gape. He closed his mouth and walked over.

"Hermione?!" he gasped and she winced.

"Call me Elly, but I guess that's who I am, yes. And you are?"

"Fred Weasley! You don't re… oh, right. Lost your memory…" She frowned.

"Seems like everyone knows." Fred nodded and then looked around.

"How the hell did you get in here? You think you're a damn muggle!" Elly didn't know what a muggle was, but she was pretty sure it was derogatory. Scowling, she pointed out the door.

"I saw the building on the corner and tried to figure out why nobody else noticed it. I didn't know I'd end up here." Fred nodded, understanding.

"Only wizards can see the pub." Her eyes widened.

"Excuse me? Only what?" Fred eyed her.

"Maybe this is a bad time," he muttered, backing up. But she grabbed his arm.

"No, this is a perfect time. I just walked down an alleyway and into a totally different world. I just spent the last half hour in a store with an eccentric man forcing me to try and find one of those stick-thingies and now I think I'm ready to listen, so you're going to tell me whatever you know, starting with the whole wizard thing."

It took about three hours to explain everything, as Elly kept asking questions and Fred didn't know much more than what he had been told to by Ginny, Ron and Harry. George had come out and helped out a lot. At the end, it was pretty dark outside and the twins got up to close up the shop, leaving Elly sitting on a chair, eyes wide with shock and horror. George came back, handing her a cup of tea. She took it numbly.

"You're not mad at us for telling you, are you?" he asked tentatively. "We should have contacted someone before, seeing as you are kind of a problem with the Ministry right now." Elly glanced at him.

"No," she murmured. "I… I think I'm glad you told me… oh goodness, what have I been doing with my life?" She looked around herself, at the different jokes and pranks that lay about. Then at the PigmyPuffs, who were sleeping in their cages. "Look at all of this… it's absolutely amazing, and I was hiding from it… and those people back at the school… No wonder they were upset when I left." Fred came back, frowning.

"You still don't remember any of it, do you?" She sighed, shaking her head.

"Some of it makes sense with some of the dreams I've had, but other than that, I still can't remember. But I have to believe you, as it all makes so much sense, especially after what I've seen. How could I have shrunk away from this?!"

"Maybe you were just scared," George said. "I mean, I've seen a lot of wizards and witches who lose their memories and coming back after a while, it's still a shock and it's hard to accept the fact that this is actually real." Elly stood suddenly, biting her lip.

"Draco Malfoy," she whispered eyes wide. She turned to them. "The man I was married to… you never mentioned him." The twins glanced at each other.

"Well, there's kind of a reason for that," Fred said hesitantly.

"Yeah, because um… well…"

"Is he crazy?" she asked them and they stared at her.

"Is he what?"

"Is he crazy? When I met him, he just looked… traumatized and like he might not be altogether. I want to know if he was that way when we were married to each other." George shrugged.

"I think he was a complete bastard when you married him. We don't really know all the facts about your marriage. Nobody except him, his parents, and your parents know and nobody's saying anything. I mean, we knew him but we were enemies. He and Ron, Harry and you were enemies, so the fact that you were married for the seventh year was a bit startling. Not everyone knows, but we do. But as for him being crazy, well… I mean, he only started losing it after you were reported dead." She was staring out the window at the small stream of people who were still loitering about until Diagon Alley shut down. Her eyes drifted closed and another image drifted in and this time, she didn't fight it…

Around her, snow fluttered about, whipping her hair around. The sight before her was of pure majesty, the zenith of several mountains piercing through the tops of sheep wool clouds. Her breath was caught in her throat as she turned to the person next to her. It was Draco. She couldn't say anything and Elly could understand why. The sight was absolutely breathtakingly beautiful… She tried to speak, but the words were muffled. He said something but again, the words were muffled. It was then that Elly noticed that his face was as it was in the picture, strikingly handsome with platinum blonde hair that clearly wasn't dyed.

_This must be before the accident that did this to him..._

Elly watched as he leaned in and kissed her softly and she kissed him back, passionate yet with feeling that could not be explained, only showed. Longing burst in her chest like a dam that was broken and her heart surged forward, pleading with him to give her more love, more safety.

"Elly?" Her eyes opened and she glanced at the twins, who looked slightly concerned.

"So he just started losing it after I was thought to be dead?" she asked quietly. She shouldn't have cared. But she wasn't the same anymore. Yes, she still didn't remember who she was, but she knew things now that were changing her mindset on her past life. Maybe it wasn't so bad after all. "But if he hated me, why would he lose it?" Fred and George exchanged glances. It was this part that they didn't know. They had only been told so much.

"You'll have to ask Ron, Harry or Ginny that," Fred told her. "Maybe they would know. Or even that Zabini character Gin is dating." She turned to them, frowning.

"Why couldn't I just ask Mr. Malfoy himself?" Again, the twins glanced at each other.

"Um, well that's sort of impossible at the moment. Probably at any moment," Fred told her.

"Why's that?"

"Because Malfoy's been incarcerated for being a Death Eater. He's being held at Azkaban prison." Elly stared at them. They had told her about Death Eaters and about Azkaban and a chill had gone up her spine at this point.

"He's a Death Eater?" she whispered and they both nodded. She looked back out the window. Her heart was aching and she didn't want it to. This Draco Malfoy was part of the reason she was like this, yet she felt for him. He was in prison, the worst prison according to the twins, and for what she didn't know. "What is he being charged for?" George began choking on his tea and Fred had gone slightly pale.

"Um, well, he's being charged for… well, for killing you."

* * *

"The trial will commence. Crimes brought up against Draco Lucius Malfoy are as follows: In league with He-Who-Must-Never-Be-Mentioned, destruction of Ministry property and other private property, endangerment of innocent lives, and attempted murder." Draco started. _Attempted murder? I don't remember that one..._"Can any evidence be brought up to support the statement afore mentioned?" Several people stood and Draco groaned. 

_Your loyalty is void to me now, Draco._

Draco groaned again and tried to ignore the voice.

_Your punishment will far outdistance that of being thrown out of a train. Your mother may have escaped death, but your mudblood wife will not._

"DON TOUCH ER!!!"

"MR. MALFOY!!!" Draco blinked and looked around, staring at the wide eyed Wizengamot. Fudge looked outraged. "What is the meaning of this outburst?!" Draco stared at them and slowly felt tears come to his eye. He looked down, furiously trying to blink them away, but it would not be stopped.

_No matter what she thinks of you, your bitch's last thought will be on how you were the cause of her death._

"NO!!" He strained against the chains, tears rushing down the side of his face, his eyes closed as he shook his head. "NO, DON TOUCH ER!!! DON TOUCH ER!!!"

_I will make sure that this death is not as quick as her supposed one. No, this will draw out, for hours, probably days... Yes, days will suffice..._

Draco couldn't take it. It was breaking him apart and the tears wouldn't stop as he pulled at the chains, which wouldn't give.

_Oh, but you will know every second of her torture. Just as I can speak to you, so can I let others speak to you... Her screams will keep you company through your days in solitary confinement in maximum security cell in Azkaban... You will then truly go mad..._

"STOP!!! STOP ET!! STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!!!!" The curse hit him in the face and he slumped in the chains, unconscious.

He was guilty before he even got started.


	10. Better To Forget Than To Regret

_Regret is insight that comes a day too late.

* * *

_

Elly tumbled out of the fireplace and across the floor, coming to a stop in front of Fred Weasley. He laughed and helped her up.

"You really need to get a hang of this again," he said, motioning back to the fireplace, where George appeared. He shrugged.

"Well, at least she ended up here instead of somewhere else." Elly looked around.

"Where is here, anyway?" she asked and George walked over to the portrait door.

"Hogwarts. We need to find Dumbledore now." They walked down the hall and were on their way to the Headmaster's office when they ran into Harry, Ginny and Ron going in the same direction. The three Gryffindors gaped, thoroughly shocked at the appearance of their lost friend. Elly bit her lip, but, at an encouraging smile from the twins, she stepped forward and gave Ginny a hug.

"I'm sorry for being harsh with you before," she whispered into the redhead's ear. "I was scared, is all." Ginny let out a sob and threw her arms around the girl. Fred jumped forward, peeling the two young women away from each other.

"Careful, Gin. She still doesn't remember who she is. She's just...had a change of heart is all." Elly sighed but took Ginny's hand.

"Come with me. We're going to talk to Dumbledore and see if he can help me talk to Draco. That's who I really need to speak to." Ginny nodded, grinning widely. Elly smiled back and the two women headed down the hallway, the four men following. Harry stared at the twins.

"How the hell did you find her?" he gasped and George shrugged, jerking his finger at Fred.

"She came into the shop and Fred saw her." Ron's eyes bugged out.

"She was in Diagon Alley!?"

"Yes, Ronald. She saw the pub and came in, wondering about why none of the muggles could see it. We told her all we knew but she still didn't remember. She sort of went funny for a while." Fred nodded at this.

"Like she was thinking too hard."

They reached the room and Harry stated the password. They rode up on the stairs, much to Elly's facination, and knocked on the door.

"Come in." Fred pushed open the door and they came in. Dumbledore looked up and his eye's sparkled. "Ah, Ms. Elly. You've come back. Let me guess, you wish to speak to Mr. Malfoy?" Elly looked shocked.

"How did you know?" Ginny smiled.

"He knows everything," she said and Elly glanced at her. Dumbledore stood.

"Well, I have already made preparations to take myself to see Draco, but you are welcome to come along. Only you, of course. The rest of you must stay here." They all nodded and Elly stepped forward, eyeing the older man cautiously, daring him to pull out another shoe. He laughed. "We will be flooing via special fireplace, Ms. Elly." He pulled out his wand and waved it at the wall. A fireplace appeared and he stepped forward, taking a handful of floo powder. "Azkaban Prizon." He was engulfed in flames and disappeared. Elly stared and turned back to the others. Ginny motioned her forward.

"Don't worry. We'll be here when you come back." Elly gave her a grateful smile and, taking a deep breath, entered the fireplace.

She remerged inside a room full of darkly cloaked men. Dumbledore motioned her forward and they hurried to a desk.

"Albus Dumbledore, here to see Draco Lucius Malfoy, high security unit." Elly stared at him. _Nobody told me he was in high security..._ The woman at the desk turned to Elly.

"Who's this?" she growled and Albus motioned Elly forward.

"This is Draco Malfoy's wife, Hermione Granger, though please adress her as Elly. She would like to see Mr. Malfoy as well." The woman eyed Elly critically. She waved her wand at the both of them and anything in her pockets flew out and into a basket.

"You'll get them back when your visit is over," the woman growled. "HENRY!! Take them to the Solitary Confinement, High Security. Malfoy's cell." Henry, a tall, aging man motioned them forward and they headed out into the halls. Immediately, Elly wished she had stayed at Hogwarts.

It was as if the dying resided here. The air was putrid as mold grew in some of the cracks in the walls. Keeping her eyes straight ahead, she could hear the sounds of moans and sobs. But what was worse was the maniacal laughter that echoed off of some of the cells. There were hundreds of cells and Elly wished there weren't. Albus pushed her ahead of him.

"Just look at your shoes, my dear," he muttered and she could see the sparkle was no longer in his eyes.

They had walked for about fifteen minutes and were now below ground in a dark empty hallway. Along the hall were lined Aurors, sitting or standing. Talking or eating, they seemed to be guarding whatever it was that was at the end of the hall. There were atleast forty Aurors. Atleast. They reached the end of the hall, a solid iron door with no bars stood there. Henry grunted something and left. There were no guards by the door and the closest one was about three yards down the hall. Albus reached out and took hold of the door handle. The door groaned and opened slowly.

"Go in. I need to visit another prisoner. Don't worry, he cannot hurt you and can only touch you if you wish it." Elly gulped but, shoving down her fear, she squared her shoulders and walked in. The room was pitch dark but Henry had given them a lantern. Holding it up, she looked around. The room could not have been more than eight steps long and eleven steps wide with a six foot cieling. Swinging the lanter around, she gasped at the sight of Draco Malfoy standing right next to her. He was stooping to keep from hitting his head against the cieling and his knees were bent slightly. His skin was unnaturally milky white, as if he had not seen light in ages. His figure was no longer lean but his skin stretched across his bones and, had he not been wearing a shirt, she could have seen his ribs. His hair hung limp in front of his eye and she took a step back at the look in it. It was blazing with an unnatural fire, the look of the crazed.

Her heart was pounding in her chest and she was sure he could hear it. "Draco," she whispered breathlessly. He eyed her and moved out of the light.

"Wha are ou doing ere? Ou're following me?" She shook her head, glancing at the door.

"No, I came to ask you a few questions." A sharp laugh caused her to let out a soft scream, which she quickly covered up with her mouth. She didn't want those guards coming in.

"Wha cou ou ask meh? Ou're dead." She frowned. She was really sick of being told she was dead.

"I came to ask you about...about Hermione." She pressed herself into the wall as he surged at her, stopping a hairs breadth away from her. There was pain in his face, she could see it.

"Wha. Abou. Her."

"I...I just wanted to know...did she hate you?" It was apparent that the question was not expected. He took a step back and laughed, crazed and mournful. She covered her ears, unable to listen. He stopped and she stared at him through the gloom.

"In the beginning," he whispered, backing into the shadows again. "Only in the beginning."

"What do you mean by that?" she asked him and she heard him hit the floor.

"Ah mean that she loved meh befo she died." Elly gasped, dropping the lantern. Images floated in front of her mind...sitting on a desk while he kissed her collar bone...running from Fluffy...stepping down the steps, dressed in a beautiful periwinkle gown...getting aboard the Hogwarts express for the first time...having him pull off her shirt and attack her neck...seeing Ron's face after freeing Sirius with Harry...watching as a curse hit her in the chest and seeing the looks of horror on Harry and Neville's faces...

The lantern light went out, leaving only the heavy breathing of Elly. She felt his presence in front of her but she didn't shrink back. His hand came up and touched her cheek, caressing it softly. She could hear his rattled breath and heard him step closer. His lips touched hers, gentle and pleading, and she let out a sob, reaching up and cupping his chin as she kissed him back. He shuddered and pulled her into him, kissing her passionately and desperately, as if afraid that he would get no other moment like this one.

The door slammed open and they broke apart. One of the guards stood in the doorway, wand out.

"Good night, Draco," he whispered from under his hood and Draco swore. "_Stupefy!_" Elly screamed, stumbling backwards as Draco was blasted into the wall and slumped to the floor, blood flowing from a gash in his head. She made to go to him but the guard grabbed her, shoving his wand into the small of her back. "I wouldn't do that, if I were you, Elly," he hissed into her ear and she gasped.

"Oh no," she whispered, comprehension shining in her eyes as he pushed the wand into her harder.

"Never thought about that, did you?"

"That's how you knew..." He ground the wand further, causing her to whimper in pain.

"Keep your mouth shut and I don't kill you. Yet. We're leaving." Her gaze went to Draco, who lay on the floor and she whimpered again.

"Draco..." Her heart burst and suddenly, an image floated in front of her. A memory..._"St...sto...ple...ple..." Her scream cut him off as his foot connected with her stomach. Pain seared through her and blood erupted up through her throat and onto the floor. Draco had turned away, unable to look. The man had dragged her so that she lay beneath Draco now. He grabbed Draco's face and forced him to look at Hermione. She was barely breathing. She was on her back with blood trickling down the side of her face as she stared up at him, her eyes slightly hazy. Her body was broken. The man laughed as they locked eyes like always, neither refusing to look away from the others pain and suffering. "Ple...ple sto..." She could see it in his eyes. He couldn't take it. He wanted it to stop._

_"Oh, I'll stop it. I'll end it now, Malfoy." He tried to shake his head. He tried to move his hands. He tried to do something. But all he could do was hang there and watch helplessly as she lay there below him, about to die._

_She stared up at him, seeing the uncontrollable pain in his eyes as his body shuddered, struggling to move yet unable to. She could see now that this is what she meant to him. She could see that he would gladly trade places with her just so that she could live. He would die for her now, because she was worth it._

_"Draco," she whispered. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Weiler point his wand at her. "Draco..." Everything was fading away. A veil began to make its way across her mind and suddenly memories were disappearing. His eye seared its way into her soul, forever imprinted in her soul but lost, for the moment, to her memory..._

_"No," she heard him groan, but it was faint. She struggled to move her lips, but no words would come. She could see tears in his eyes and for a moment, triumph rose in her. _

Ha_, she thought faintly_. He did cry..._ "No!"_

_"Avada Kadavra!!"_

Hermione's eyes flew open and she found herself standing in a dimly lit room. She let out a sob.

"I remember...I remember..."

"I'm sorry for that, Mudblood." She spun around and saw Charles sitting in a chair, a glass of wine in both hands. He got up and walked over. She backed up and he handed her the glass. "I'm terribly sorry. I had hoped we would become more than friends." Hermione backed into the wall, shaking her head.

"You lied," she whispered.

"I didn't. You chose to trust me."

"And like a fool I did." Tears flowed down her face and she shook her head. "What have you done to Draco?" Charles smirked, stepping closer to Hermione.

"Isn't amazing how many things you can do to a man when he's unconscious?" he whispered and she threw the wine in his face and rushed for the door. He grabbed her and slammed her into the wall, glaring. She bit her lip to keep from screaming as he pressed himself against her. "Pray, bitch," he hissed into her ear as his hands moved up her thigh. She tried shoving him away but his grip was too strong as his fingers dug into her skin, causing her to gasp in pain. "Pray to God that Malfoy finds you before I'm done with you."

This time, she did scream.


	11. What Price Will You Put On A Promise?

**Alright, I am soooooooooooo sorry about this!! All of you must hate me for not getting this update in! Over three weeks!! I hope the next update comes in sooner!! Again, please accept my apologies!! Hope it was worth it!!**

_Jim Rohn_

_For every promise, there is a price to pay._

_

* * *

_

_"Let go of me! Stop!!" She broke out of his grip and scrambled to the edge of the bed, only to be pulled back into his hold. He straddled her, holding her arms above her head while yanking off more articles of clothing. _

_"Oh, come on Elly! Isn't this what you wanted?" Hermione sobbed and struggled, wriggling one hand out of his and slapping him. Seeing that he was temporarily startled, she shoved him off of her and leapt out of the bed, running to the door and jiggling the door knob. It wouldn't budge and he spun her around, slamming her into the cold iron. "Didn't you want us to be together?" he whispered into her ear and she pushed her arms against his chest, tears coming down her face. _

_"Please, stop!!" she whimpered but he pressed his lips to hers, his body not allowing hers to move as he pressed against her. She was trapped between him and the wall and all she could do was cry._

Draco shot up into a sitting position, chest heaving as he was drenched in cold sweat. He stared around in the darkness, panting.

"Hermione," he whispered, pressing his hands against his head to get rid of the images. "Merlin, no…" A sound at the door caught his attention. There was a loud thud and yells could be heard, along with curses and such. The sound of an explosion came to him and he stumbled to the door. Silence greeted him and then a few mutters and another explosion, knocking Draco into the wall. The door opened with a bang and Blaise stepped in, stooping slightly.

"Get up, Malfoy," he hissed, glancing behind him. "No questions, just come." Draco blinked and followed Blaise out. Potter, Weasley and Red were with him, with Weasley sporting a nasty gash on his cheek. He opened his mouth, thought better of it, and instead decided to shrink away from the blinding light of their wands.

"Ton it dow," he hissed. "It's way ta brigh." Weasley rolled his eyes but their wands dimmed slightly. Blaise glanced around.

"Alright, come on. This is a high security cell. Someone would have heard that, no thanks to you," he hissed, glancing at Ginny. She glared at him.

"Well, somebody failed to mention that there were trip wires around. Trip wires are MUGGLE!!" Blaise grabbed her collar, yanking her close.

"I don't have time to argue with you," he spat. "We have to go. NOW." With that, he let go of her and began down the hallway. Draco, with a small glance at Red, followed close behind, still panting for breath. The vision of Hermione still haunted him and the man who she was with. He had recognized him immediately. He had been the one that blackballed Draco from the Ministry. And now he was after Draco's wife.

Draco would kill him.

They reached the end of the hall when several Aurors showed up. "Hey, wha-" Blaise had them all knocked out in a single wave of his wand. Ginny began biting her fingernails.

"We are going to get into so much trouble for this," she whispered. Draco laughed and then coughed.

"Ou'll probably go ta Azkaban fo this, Red. Rouble is the leas of our worries." Blaise started up the stairs, Ron bringing up the rear.

"Why are we breaking him out again?" Ron snapped. "He should be in Azkaban." Harry glanced back at him.

"Because he's the only one that knows where Hermione is. And he knows other things as well." Draco stopped and turned back to him. Harry gave him a closed look and Draco glared.

"I may know tings, bu don tink our gettin anythin out of meh."

"Why don't we put you back, then?" Harry snarled, wand up. Draco stepped up to him.

"Cause Hermione means mo to meh than she cou eva mean to you," he whispered and then turned around, continuing after Blaise. Harry stared at him and then glanced back at Ron.

"That's why we broke him out, Ron," he muttered.

They had reached the top of the stairs when lots of Aurors decided to show up. Blaise, Ron and Harry began firing curses and hexes.

"Ginny, look behind you, is there any place we can hide or fend them off?" Harry yelled back. Ginny looked around and spotted a room.

"In here!" The three of them backed in and Ron held onto the door as it rattled.

"Well, now what, Zabini?" he spat. "You'll get us all killed because they think we're Death Eaters!" Blaise glared at him, tightening his grip on his wand.

"Why don't we throw you out there and test that theory, Weasel?" he snarled back. Draco took his arm.

"Later, Blaise," he hissed. "Not ere. Red, wha the ell are ou doing?" Ginny had opened another door in the back of what was apparently a broom closet. Inside were the most miscellaneous objects ever. There were boots and tea pots, miniature houses and stuffed animals. Blaise's eyes widened.

"Don't touch anything!" But it was too late. Ginny had already reached out and touched one of the boots. Immediately, they were all sucked in with the boot. They landed a moment later on a cold, damp stone floor. Draco pulled himself to the wall of the corridor they were in, panting again. Ginny moved over to look out a small window. She gasped and turned back.

"Where are we?" Draco panted. She gulped.

"Somewhere below the hills behind the old Riddle house, I think," she responded. "This was where the portkey brought us." Harry and Ron glanced at each other then out the window.

"Told you not to touch it," Blaise spat, moving away from them to stand beside Draco. Ginny narrowed her eyes at him.

"Well, I didn't see any other signs of escape, did you?"

"You don't touch miscellaneous objects, Weasel." Ron glared, reaching for his wand.

"Want to run that by me again, Zabini?" he hissed. Harry stepped in between them both, shaking his head.

"We don't need this right now, both of you," he snapped, giving Blaise a death glare, which the young man readily returned. "Fighting at a time like this isn't what we need." He then turned to Draco. "Alright, since you've been here, you lead." Draco glared at him but looked around himself.

"We're on da other side of da complex," he muttered. "Da Dark Lord'll be on dat side. Da cells are over der too, so Ermione will be kept over there." A dark look came over him and he held out his hand to Ginny. "Give meh our wand." She raised her eyebrows.

"Why?"

"Because, when we fine Smith, I'll kill im, na ou." Ginny stared at him.

"Who is Smith?" Draco ignored her and snatched her wand from her hand and began making his way down the corridor. Blaise followed him with a small glance at Ginny. Harry stared out the window.

"Why would a portkey to here be in Azkaban?" he whispered. Ron shrugged, eyeing the direction in which the two Slytherins had taken.

"I don't know, but I think we should follow them. I don't want to be caught out here by myself." Harry sighed and they hurried after Draco and Blaise. Draco was still limping but was still moving fairly quick. Ron looked around. "Why's it so quiet?" Draco laughed.

"Were ya expectin screamin?" he coughed. Blaise glanced at him.

"I was." Draco eyed him.

"Not all torture is done with sound, Blaise," he whispered, turning his eye back onto the hall in front of him. They walked along for a moment before Blaise signaled them to stop. They put out their wand lights and hid in the shadows. Three cloaked men came down, dragging someone with them.

"She ain't dead, you idiot," one of them grumbled. "She'll be waking up fairly soon. See, she's comin' around right now." The small group of students gasped silently as the Death Eaters came into the light. They were dragging Hermione along with them. She moaned softly and tried to remove her attackers' hands on her.

"Let go…" One of them laughed.

"Doesn't know where she is," he laughed. "Still thinks she's with Smith. Got her good, didn't he?" Harry, Blaise and Ron wrestled Draco to the floor before he could lunge at the Death Eaters, Ginny silencing him with her wand. The Death Eaters opened a cell door and flung Hermione into it. Closing the door and locking it, they walked off and soon the corridor was silent again. Draco threw them off and rushed to the door. Blaise pushed him out of the way.

"_Intreno,"_ he whispered, flicking his wand at the door. "_Reducto!!"_ The door came off it's hinges silently and Harry and Ron shoved it open. Hermione, blinking rapidly, scrambled to her feet.

"What are you doin-" Draco grabbed her and crushed her lips to his. Ginny bit her lip and motioned to Harry and Ron. Glancing at each other, they backed out, Blaise coming last and closing the door slightly.

Hermione's mind went blank. Then she sobbed, wrapping her arms around him and deepening the kiss. They stumbled back into the wall and pulled away, staring into each others eyes.

"Draco…" He reached up, caressing her cheek while his eye roamed her face. There were bruises on her neck and arms and her clothes were ripped.

"Tell meh he didn't touch ou," he whispered. He begged. "Ple tell meh he didn't touch ou…" Fresh tears welled in her eyes and she shook her head, eyes closed.

"Oh God, no," she sobbed and he pulled her into him, holding her tightly. "Draco, I tried… he wouldn't…" She cried harder, burying her face into his chest. "Please no…" His hand came down and touched her tummy. It was prominent now and he closed his eye, tears coming.

"Shh," he whispered, kissing her forehead. "Shh, I'm here. I'm here an I'm na leavin… I won le im touch ou…"

"I'm sure you could, Malfoy. But you know the thing about lies? They're just promises made to be broken." They spun around to find a cloaked man standing there. Hermione whimpered and Draco's grip on her tightened.

"I'll kill you," Draco whispered, moving Hermione behind him. Charles/Smith laughed.

"Is that another one of your promises?" Draco lunged at him and they flew back into the hallway. Ginny screamed as they moved away. Hermione stumbled out, eyes wide. Charles/Smith managed to get out of Draco's grip and stood, smirking. There were seven other Death Eaters in the hall with their wands trained on Harry, Ron, Blaise and Ginny. "Did Elly, or is it Hermione now? Did she tell you that we got to spend some quality time together only a few moments ago? She was very hesitant at first, but I think that after I got her in the bed, she was very hospitable. Gave me the full tour, she did." Rage blazed through him and he surged at Smith, not caring if the man had a wand. It was an over-protectiveness he had never known before and it flew through him like a wildfire.

_This man touched my property, _he thought in loathing. _No, this man touched MY WIFE!!!_

"YOU WILL DIE!!!" he roared. He smashed into him and they hit the floor. Smith kneed Draco and slammed his head into the stone floor. Hermione screamed and ran forward when she stopped.

Draco scrambled to his feet, felling blood dribbling down his neck. "Le her go, Smith," he spat. Smith grinned, digging his wand closer into Hermione's neck. She flinched but gave no other sign of pain. She would not do that. Not in front of Draco. He had been through hell, she could see it in his eyes. She had been lost to him… dead, and she would not show pain if he would lose her again…

"I'll make you a deal, Malfoy," Smith said. "I'll let her live in exchange for you walking away from here and praying to God that the Dark Lord doesn't find you." Draco glanced at Hermione and shook his head, lunging at them. The other Death Eaters came up and Hermione could not hide a whimper. Blaise yanked Draco back, wand trained on one of the several Death Eaters. Smith smirked. "Isn't this a predicament?" he hissed as Draco wrenched out of Blaise's grip.

"Don't do it, Draco," Ginny snapped. "You'll get yourself killed and you won't help Hermione." Harry glanced behind him and spotted the boot.

"Ron knows how to reprogram portkeys," he hissed. Draco shot him a look that clearly said, "No. Fucking. Way." Harry shook his head. "We leave now, we fight later. Hermione lives. That's our only option. Unless you want to watch her die, we back off." Harry hated himself for saying it but there were no other options. Blaise took hold of Draco's robes.

"Weasley, get the portkey," he whispered, eyes still on the Death Eaters. Draco turned back to Smith, whose grin had widened.

"Don't worry, Malfoy," he whispered, letting his hand drift up Hermione's bruised thighs. "I'll take good care of her." Rage and pain filled him and he lurched forward, but Blaise yanked him back.

"Don't," he hissed. "Live today, fight tomorrow. You won't help her dead." Helplessness took over him as he stared at Hermione. She shook her head, eyes filled with tears.

"Go, Draco," she gasped, Smith's wand digging harder into her neck. "Please…"

"I've set it for Hogsmeade," Ron hissed, holding out the boot. "Malfoy, we don't have time for this. Either you come or you get both you and Hermione killed." Draco backed up, closing his eye.

"I'm comin ba fo ou," he whispered, putting his hand on the boot and feeling the tug on his navel. "I'm na losin ou agin…"


	12. Honorable Mistakes

**_George Bernard Shaw_**

_A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable but more useful than a life spent in doing nothing. _

_

* * *

_

They arrived in Hogsmeade and immediately hopped the Knight Bus into London. News of the prison break had not reached the public, so the group was safe for the moment. Harry found an ATM and drew out some money from his muggle account, which his parents had also set up for him. The rest of the group waited in a back alley while Harry went into a hotel to look for rooms for the night. He could see that they were all exhausted and he was afraid, if Draco didn't rest, he was faced with a possible suicide, and Harry wasn't in the mood of coaxing Malfoy off a roof or coaxing a damn razor out of his hand.

Coming back, he slipped into the alleyway and found the group. "Alright, I got three rooms," he muttered. "Ginny gets her own room, Ron shares with Zambini and I'm with Malfoy." Ron stared at Harry like he was crazy, but Harry gave him a "Not now, Ron" look and Ron shut his mouth, fuming. Handing Ginny her keycard, he also handed her a wallet. "There is two hundred dollars in there. Take it, no, Ginny take it. Get us some muggle clothes, as we'll be easy targets in robes. Please, Ginny." She bit her lip but nodded and hurried off. Turning back, he grabbed Draco's arm and hauled him up from the molding floor. Draco, who wasn't paying attention, merely walked along with him, eyes glazed over in pain.

Ginny knocked on a door to a hotel room and it opened, revealing Ron. He let her in and she found the other young men inside also. Dropping several bags on one of the beds, she smiled wanly. She had dressed at the clothing store, wearing hipster jeans, a fitting shirt with the words "They can't hear you" on it. She had changed into a pair of sneakers also and pulled her hair into a bun.

"Ok, I got everyone stuff, though I'm sure you might need to resize some things," she said. "And I also got you guys some change of boxers." She held up some boxers, all of them with some different cartoon of Snoopy on it. "Aren't they cute?" All the boys stared and Ron shook his head.

"We're not related," he mumbled. Draco reached into one of the bags and smirked, pulling out a baby blue lacey unmentionable.

"Looks like we're not the only ones she shopped for," Blaise said and the boys gaped at it. Ginny went beet red and leapt at Draco.

"Give them here, Malfoy!" she yelled. She snatched them away and got off the bed, glaring at him. "So, I shopped for myself. What of it?" Draco pulled out a box of tampons and raised an eyebrow as Ron choked and began coughing loudly. Ginny's eyes widened and she grabbed the box and the bag also. "Can't get anything, can I?!" she shouted at them, storming out of the room to her own.

The television was on but muted as Ginny let tears run down her face. A knock came at the door and she rolled over onto her side.

"Go away." She heard a door open and turned around to see Blaise standing in the adjoining doorway.

"Can we talk?" he muttered and she turned away from him. He walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Look, I'm sorry." She glared at him.

"Do you even know what you're saying sorry about?" she snapped and he sighed.

"Red, I hurt you. I know and I'm sorry!"

"How could you do that to me! I'm your girlfriend and you behave like I'm an insect. Am I that insignificant to you?!" He grabbed her face and pulled it forward, kissing her firmly. She pulled away and got up. "Get out." He stood, but didn't budge. "Get out!" she yelled, tears streaming down her face. "I hate this! I hate it and I want you to leave!!"

"What is it that you hate so much?" he whispered and she slapped him.

"That's what I hate," she whispered. "I hate it that you make me fall right back in love with you even when I should be hating you!!" She slapped him again and he kissed her, pushing her back onto the bed. She pushed her arms against his chest, shoving him off and scrambling up. She had just reached the door when he spun her around and kissed her again, passionately and pleadingly. They stumbled into the wall and she whimpered, feeling his hands run down her side and up into her shirt. He fought for dominance over her and she fought back, moaning against his mouth as he pushed his tongue against her lips, demanding entrance. She bit his lower lip and he swore, shoving against her harder and she gasped. "Blaise," she begged and he pulled away, attacking her neck instead. He raised up her shirt, running his hands over her bra and back down to her lower back, feeling her shudder. "Please, stop," she whispered and he pulled away, gazing at her.

"What do you want from me?" he whispered against her lips. "I love you, Red…what more do you want?" She stared at him and turned away, pulling her hand away from him gently. Walking over to the adjoining door, she opened it, staring fixedly at the floor.

"Please go," she whispered. He gazed at her for a moment and then walked slowly to the door. Stopping, he took her chin, forcing her to look at him.

"What do I have to do to make you see that?" he murmured. She was frozen, unable to move away as he leaned in once more.

"Say my name," she whispered, eyes flickering to his lips and back. "Say my name…" He smiled, nuzzling her cheek and neck.

"Ginny."

"Do you think you're capable of making mistakes, Malfoy?" Draco opened his eye and glanced at Harry, was also on his bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"I married Ermione, didn't I?" he muttered, closing his eye. "I tink that counts as a mitake." Harry stared at him.

"How was she a mistake, Malfoy?" he growled. "I think you screwed that up yourself and now, thanks to you, we're hiding from the Ministry." Draco laughed.

"Who say she was da mitake, Potter?" he asked. "Ah cerpintly never said dat."

"Then what are you trying to say, because I _certainly_ didn't understand what you said." Draco flexed his fingers and cracked his neck, letting his anger out that way.

"Marriage was a mitake, Potter. We neva should ave been married."

"That's for damn sure. You hated each other."

"Tha's na the reason. The reason is tha we were extremel...why am ah talkin to ou anyway? This is stupid." He rolled over and got up, opening the refrigerator. "Ah don't ave time fo dis." Harry sat up.

"Well, we're not going anywhere for the next few days." Draco spun around, eye blazing.

"DAYS?!" he roared. Harry nodded solemnly.

"Look, Malfoy. I know how you're feeling right now, but-" Draco was next to him in a flash.

"No, Potta, you ave NO IDEA how ah'm feelin," he hissed. "None of ou could possibly understan how ah'm feelin." Harry watched him for a minute and stood.

"Malfoy, what is the biggest mistake you have ever made?" he asked him softly and Draco started. He had been hoping Potter would get mad and they would fight, but instead he popped up a question that was making Draco think that maybe Potter did have a clue. He eyed the raven haired boy carefully.

"Lettin tha stupid, jumped up ittle mublu get ta me." Harry opened his mouth to speak when a knock came to their door. Harry got up and answered it. Ginny stepped in, running her hand through her hair. She sat down on the edge of his bed, watching Draco.

"How are you feeling?" she whispered and Draco laughed, waving his hand in front of her face.

"Ow do ou think Ah'm feelin, Red?" he spat. "Ah'm skin an bones, my wife is gettin fucked by a psychotic maniac an Potta's in ere tryin ta ge me to tell im all my mistakes. AH FEEL FRIGGIN FINE, RED!!!" Ginny's eyes were wide as Draco turned to the window, closing his eye to the tears that were threatening to fall. "See, Potta. This is why et was a mistake. This is why et was a mistake." Ginny glanced at Harry.

"Maybe I'll come back later," she murmured and Harry nodded. He walked her outside and shut the door behind him. She stared at the shut door, sighing. "He really does love her, doesn't he?" Harry nodded.

"I'm afraid of him doing something stupid about it too," he told her. "I mean, he almost killed himself before when he thought she was dead, but now that we know the truth, I'm afraid that he might try something that'll get him killed." Ginny bit her lip.

"We're in deep, Harry. We broke him out of Azkaban, Harry. _Azkaban._" A bellboy walked past and they watched him until he was out of sight. Lowering his voice, she turned back to him. "He's been convicted of so many felonies and now, we're in on it. We're housing a criminal, Harry!" Harry glanced back at the door.

"I don't think that even you believe what you said, Gin," he muttered. "He's as much a criminal as Ron's a Death Eater." Ginny opened her mouth but Harry shook his head, turning to her. "He may have a Dark Mark, but we both know he hasn't done anything. Ok, yeah. Maybe he's trashed some Ministry property, but we both know that there's nothing he's done that earns him Azkaban."

"Harry, he was convicted of attempted murder!"

"On Hermione!" Ginny looked like she had been slapped.

"What?" Harry glanced around and leaned in.

"I got his files from Mad-Eye Moody. He sent them to me because I told him I was interested in the trial. Apparently, Wizengamot and Ministry think he tried to kill off Hermione." Ginny stared at him for a moment and then a light bulb came on.

"Blaise did say something about Malfoy being blackballed by someone in the Ministry."

"That guy who had Hermione," Harry clarified.

"Mention something about seeing Draco dump a body off in an alleyway to some Ministry members who've been abused by the Malfoy family and you've got a convict right there." Ginny sighed and rubbed her head. "How are we getting out of this, Harry? We're in deep and the only way out is to clear Draco's name, even if it is just getting attempted murder off the file." Harry nodded.

"And to do that, we have to get Hermione." Ginny nodded and ran another hand through her hair. Harry eyed her carefully and she noticed, raising an eyebrow.

"What is it?" she asked him and he shrugged.

"What's up with you and Zambini?" he asked and she blinked, unsure on how to answer. Turning away from him, she ran a finger over her slightly bruised lips.

"I don't know," she answered. He touched her shoulder and she looked up at him.

"Are you sure?" Ginny sighed once more and the door across the hall opened. Ron came out, running his hand through his hair.

"So, what's up, my fellow criminals?" he greeted and Ginny shushed him.

"Be quiet Ron," she hissed. "Do you want someone to hear you?" He glanced at her.

"Are you going to answer the question?" he snapped back and Harry took hold of her arm, shaking his head.

"We were just talking about what to do next, now that we can't exactly return to Hogwarts or any magical community any time soon." Ron shrugged.

"Mum will have a heart attack when she hears about this," he muttered and Ginny groaned.

"Oh, we're in so much trouble."

"Nobody's going to believe us when we tell them that we broke Malfoy out of prison just so we could find someone else." Harry patted him on the back and put his hand on the doorknob.

"Looks like we're on our own," he said and they both nodded. "Great. A convict in the room, a best friend possibly dead and Voldemort out to get me because of some stupid prophesy. Could life possibly get any worse?"

Narcissa looked up from her book to see her husband hurry in, slamming and magically locking the bedroom door behind him.

"Lucius, is everything alright?" she asked him as he started opening different drawers.

"Draco has escaped from Azkaban."

"WHAT?!" She stood, eyes wide. "How?"

"Apparently, students from Hogwarts broke him out. Several Death Eaters faced off with them hours ago." Narcissa watched as he brought out a large sack and opened it, pulling out a large sapphire stone.

"Lucius, what on earth are you doing with that?" she whispered. He glanced at her.

"You _really_ don't want to know, love."

_Her body slammed into the wall with a resounding crunch and scream and she fell to the floor, gasping for breath as pain like a white hot poker seared through her. There were several men laughing in the shadows, where they stood and aimed curses at her. Using her arm, she managed to climb to her feet, ignoring the pain in her ankle, where she could see it swelling and turning purple and black. _

_"Draco has tortured me better than you all have," she spat, backing into the wall. "You haven't even touched the surface." _

_"This coming from a girl who, just hours ago, was screaming for me to let her go." Hermione could feel the blood rushing to her face, boiling in anger and fear. _

_"At least Draco can make me scream in pleasure instead of in horror," she hissed and was greeted with a red jet in the stomach. She sank to her knees, holding herself in pain. She felt a tiny kick and gasped. _

You can't give in, Hermione,_ she thought, glaring through her hair into the darkness. _There are too many people counting on you.

_"Is that all you've got?" she whispered. _

_"_Crucio_." It was rewarded with her screams._

Draco bolted up in bed, drenched in sweat and gasping in pain. Harry was already sitting up, staring at him with wide eyes. This was not the first time that night that he had woken to Draco's yells and he was growing increasingly concerned. He had turned on the light and was now watching as Draco clutched his hair, eye closed.

"Malfoy?" he asked tentatively. "What the hell is it now?" Draco slid back into his sheets, groaning.

"We need ta fine er," he whispered. "We need to fine er now." Harry immediately understood and got up, pulling on some jeans and grabbing a jacket.

"Get dressed, we're leaving." Draco nodded numbly, getting out of bed. Harry opened his door and walked over to the next one. Knocking, he waited impatiently, fingering his zipper in agitation. Ron opened the door, hair sticking up in all directions.

"Wassup?" he muttered.

"We're leaving," Harry said. Ron merely nodded and closed the door. Harry walked to the other door and knocked. "Ginny," he hissed. The door opened and Blaise eyed him. Harry took a step back, slightly shocked but shook it off. "We're leaving now." Blaise eyed him once more and closed the door. Shaking his head, Harry entered his room again and found Draco dressed and sitting on the edge of his bed, grumbling to himself.

_How long do you think you can hide before I find you? I know who freed you. How is it that Potter was one of the ones to free you from Azkaban Prison? Explain that to me. _

"I'm na tellin ou nothing," Draco growled.

_You are in a bad situation, Draco. You have joined the enemy and for that you will pay. I already know you know about your little mudblood. Well, I can make her a permanent member down here. She will be a lovely item to add to my collection. And I know you've seen my collection, Draco. You're disloyalty will not be overlooked, mark my words._

"Go ta ell, ou bastard." Standing, he grabbed the hoodie and sunglasses, putting them on. "Potta." Harry watched him carefully.

"What?"

"Let's go."

Ginny glanced around again and Ron rolled his eyes. "Will you stop that, Gin!" he hissed as they boarded the muggle bus. "You're attracting more attention than we need." Ginny glared at him and took a seat next to Blaise. Ron had a window seat with Draco and Harry sat opposite of Draco. Everyone's wand was hidden in the seams of the clothing. Blaise glanced at Ginny and took her hand.

"Stop worrying, Red," he whispered into her ear. "We'll get there." She turned to him, tears in her eyes.

"I hope so, Blaise," she whispered back. "Oh, I hope we do." He leaned in and kissed her and she pulled him closer. Ron reached over and rapped Blaise on the head.

"Oi, not on the bus," he snapped. Ginny blushed and turned back to the window, keeping her hand in Blaise's. Draco watched them and closed his eye.

_"Draco, get off!" He pushed her against the wall, teeth digging into her neck. He grinned mischievously as she groaned and tried to shove him off her. "Draco, stop!" _

_"Make me, Mudblood," he hissed, hands slipping into her shirt and ripping it off altogether. _

_"Draco, please," she begged but he moved his mouth to hers, immediately getting her to part her lips and let him in. She was trapped between him and the wall and her struggle for authority was slowly waning. Her skirt went next and then her bra. Her arms tried to push him off but he shoved her onto the bed, grinding into her forcefully and listening to her whimper and moan at the touch of his fingers against her exposed skin. His lips drew back to her neck, allowing her to catch what little breath she had. "Draco, no…" _

_"Tell me something I want to hear," he growled, finger trailing the lace of the only article of clothing that she was still trying to keep on herself. _

_"Draco, stop!" He shoved against her, starting to draw her undergarment off. _

_"Wrong," he hissed. He could hear her struggling to breath and was basking in his strength and domination over her. _

_"I love you," came her faint voice and he stopped pulling off her lacey underwear. He sat up so that he was straddling her now and stared down at her. Her face was flushed as she caught her breath and propped herself up onto her elbows. He reached over and stroked her hair, kissing her softly. _

_"Wasn't what I was looking for," he whispered and proceeded to take off the underwear. "But it will have to do…" _

"Draco." Blaise shook his friend slightly. He opened his eye and stared at him.

"What?" Ginny reached over and brushed several tears away.

"We're getting off here. Looks like the Ministry's checking busses too." He shook his head and stood pulling the hood further down over his face. People around him were already getting off the bus, muttering something about bus checks. Getting off, the group clustered into the corner. There were a line of busses on the side of the street with police officers getting on and off.

"Come on," Harry muttered, motioning forward. "We walk for a bit and then catch a cab."

"Where do we go?" Harry watched as a woman was searched.

"Godric's Hollow."


	13. Fortitude for the Hopeless

_Fortitude: the strength to persist, the courage to endure...

* * *

_

_Hermione struggled to her feet once more, glaring defiantly into the darkness. "You've proven not-" A sream of blood poured forth and she coughed, dropping to her knees. The figures watched her. _

_"She's not as weak as we thought," muttered one. "She's not giving up easily." _

_"Then we just try harder. The Dark Lord has given us orders and we will break her down." _

_"Why don't you all stop bickering amongst each other like crones and actually do some damage," Hermione spat. "Because I'm still waiting. I'm not very impressed with your effort in tort-AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!" She clutched her arm as gashes appeared, peeling back and revealing muscle and bone. The Death Eaters laughed. _

_"I would not speak so defiantly, if I were you, mudblood."_

_"Yeah, you're only going to get yourself in more trouble." Hermione glared at them, pushing herself against the wall to stand. _

_"I got myself into trouble when I married Draco Malfoy. Do you honestly think that a couple of torture curses is going to make me submit to you?" She fell to the ground, screaming as pain racked her body. They stared at her, apathy in their gaze. _

_"You _will _learn your place, rat."_

"He's doing it again."

"Shut up, Ron. Malfoy? Draco, come on, we're getting a cab." Draco shook his head and stood from the bench he had been sitting on. Ginny gave him a nervous look. "Are you sure you're alright. You've been doing a lot of that lately." Draco stared at her from behind the glasses and moved past her to follow Harry. Ron stared after him.

"Maybe he really is going nutters," he muttered and Ginny glared.

"Stop, Ron," she growled, taking his arm and dragging him after the others. Harry had already hailed two taxis.

"Alright, Ginny, you and Zambini go in that one and Ron will come with Malfoy and I. You're taxi will follow ours." Ron gaped and raised his hand to complain but Blaise had already pulled Ginny into the cab. Ron turned to Harry, eyes wide but Harry shook his head. "Leave them alone, Ron. Let them have their space."

"They had their space last night," Ron muttered, but nevertheless got into the cab, followed by Draco then Harry.

"So, where are we headed?" the driver asked, glancing into the rear view mirror.

"Just head out of town by the east side for right now," Harry told him. "I'll give you the rest of the directions when we get there." The driver took another look into the mirror, suspicous, but took off down the street.

Blaise watched as the first taxi pulled out. "Ok, just follow that one."

"Sure," said the woman driving their taxi and pulled out behind the car. Blaise turned to Ginny, studying her carefully.

"What is it?" he asked softly and she looked at him.

"It's nothing," she said, sighing. "It's just that...you've seen the way Malfoy's been acting, right? He's been zoning out and talking to himself. I know he's not a _real_ criminal or anything, but I can't help but wondering if he really didn't go crazy, like Ron said. I mean, you have to admit. He's been acting really strangely ever since Hermione was presumed dead." Blaise nodded slowly, staring past her out the window.

"There's something going on with him that he's not telling me," he said. "I've asked him a couple times but he blows it off. I don't know. Maybe he is going crazy, but he isn't insane yet. We just have to wait until we find Hermione..." Ginny nodded and moved closer to him. He began trailing kisses down her neck, reaching up and fingering her hair.

"Blaise," she whispered.

"Hmmm?" She shook her head, sighing and placing her head on his chest.

"Nothing."

* * *

The trip was less than an hour, landing them somewhere outside London. They stopped off in a small muggle town and released their taxi drivers, Harry paying them. They then entered a diner, where they ordered food. Sitting closer to the back, they waited as Ginny came back with hot chocolates for all of them. 

"So, what now?" Blaise asked, scooting over so Ginny could sit. Harry pulled out a map.

"I got this from the hotel," he explained, spreading it out on the table. "This is where we are. Malton. 30 kilometers away is Godric's Hollow. We can't get their any other way but walking, except Knight Bus."

"How do you know?" Ron asked.

"Lupin took me there during sixth year," Harry replied. "We walk there and then sneak into my parents' house." Draco laughed.

"Ow the ell do ou plan ta do that, Potta?" he croaked. "If ou aven't noticed, ou're wanted for breakin meh ou of Azkaban. Ah don tink they're gonna jus let ou walk into our ouse." Harry stared at him for a moment.

"The house is magically sealed," he said softly. "I'm the only one that can open it. Only the people I want to can enter. No apparating. No floo except for specialized stuff made in the house. No one gets in or out. We'll be safe. Does that answer your question?" Draco stood abruptly and stormed off to the bathroom. Blaise, with a whither look to Harry, went after him. The bathroom was silent and all the stall doors opened except one. Standing outside it, Blaise knocked on the door.

"Don make meh urt ou, Zambini," came Draco's broken language.

"You need to come out, Draco."

"Why, so Potta and Weasley can make fun of me?"

"I never knew you as one to run away from Potter and Weasley when they made fun of you?"

"Ah'm not in the mood."

"You're upset."

"Wha the ell do ou tink?"

"I think you need to calm down and come out here before you do something stupid."

"Like kill mahself."

"Yes. Look, Draco. Being sore isn't going to help Hermione. I honestly don't think that you would be acting like this if she knew."

"Bu, she doesn'now, does she?"

"Draco, Potter is just trying to help. So is Weasley and Red. Why do you think they're here, risking their reputations and lives for your worthless ass? I think you need to get your head out of the clouds and realize that the high horse you thought you were riding was a donkey." There was silence and the door creaked open. Draco came out and left the bathroom, Blaise following him.

The food had arrived and they ate with minimal speaking. Ginny ran over to a small store and picked up some supplies, as they weren't sure there would be any at the Potter House. When she returned, they left, taking a back road and slipping into the woods. Harry and Ron walked in front, with Ginny in the middle and the Slytherins trailing in the rear. Draco still had Ginny's wand and Blaise had his out.

"Well, well. What have we here? Death Eaters?" Ron and Harry swore and they all turned around to be faced with the wands of several Aurors. Ginny paled in realization that one of them was her brother, Charlie, who had come back to England for the war.

"Charlie!" she gasped, backing up into Draco. Also with the Aurors were none other than Tonks, Mad-Eye Moody and Kingsley.

"GINNY!! RON!!" Charlie looked like he would pass out from shock. Tonks stepped forward, eyes wide.

"I didn't want to believe it when they told us, but here you are!!" she cried. Draco glanced around, backing up.

"Potta, we don ave time fo this," he breathed when he was standing next to the raven haired boy. Moody glared at him.

"I expected better from you, Potter. Especially you." Harry was reddening but his mind was racing. They needed to get to the Potter House before the Aurors decided that they need to be put in jail. He glanced to his side and groaned. That was one thing he really didn't need at the moment. Another distraction.

It had gotten increasingly dark without their immediate knowledge, so it came as a surprise when the moon shone down upon them. And that was part of their problem.

"Ron," Harry hissed through the side of his mouth as Ginny tried to reason with her brother. "Tell Blaise that he needs to get Ginny up that tree within the next...fifteen seconds." Ron glanced at him, confused.

"What the hell?" he whispered back.

"Blaise. Ginny. Up that tree. Ten seconds. Now, Ron." Still confused, he whispered it hurriedly to Blaise. Blaise stared at him like he was confused and then his gaze shifted to behind him and he seemed to pale. Five seconds.

"Charlie, if you would jus-" She was cut off as Blaise wrapped his arm around her and leapt at a branch in a tree, grabbing it and slinging Ginny up. Screaming, she grabbed a branch and pulled Blaise up beside her. And just in time.

The werewolf shot straight by, directly in the path where Blaise and Ginny had been a moment ago. Ginny, eyes wide, yanked Blaise up further, climbing higher in the tree. Harry had already shoved Ron and Draco forward, wand drawn.

"Get up a tree!" he yelled at them, ignoring the Aurors, who stood, slightly uncertain about what to do. However, the werewolf was very certain about what it wanted to do. It turned around and ran straight for Ron and Draco. Scrambling forward, Ron vaulted up into a tree, clinging to it for dear life. Draco, however, was still weak in strength and threw himself into a small ditch, watching the werewolf tear past him. Scrambling to his feet, he took off through the trees. Ginny watched him and started shifting through the tree she was in to an intertwining branch. Blaise grabbed her arm.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" Blaise yelled but she shrugged him off, biting her lip and leaping into the next tree.

"Draco needs our help and I'm not getting onto the ground!" she shouted back, shifting around and leaping into the next tree. Blaise stared after her and then over to where Harry and Ron were. They nodded and began doing the same thing.

* * *

_Draco scrambled up a small hill and tumbled down it, the werewolf on his heels. Landing at the bottom and hitting a tree, Draco sat up, dazed. The werewolf stopped, howling and snarling while it began to circle it's prey. Draco pulled out his wand but the werewolf took a swipe at him. He pulled back, hand bleeding profusely. Swearing heavily, he backed up, tripped and fell. The werewolf lunged. _

"Come back to earth, you silly girl." Hermione gasped, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Draco," she sobbed and the Dark Lord's mouth curled into a blood-curdling grin.

"So, you have seen one of my pets. I was afraid he wouldn't get there in time, but it seems he has." Hermione shook her head, refusing to open her eyes.

"No, he's okay," she whispered. "He's okay."

"You will continue telling yourself that until you actually believe it, won't you?" Voldemort hissed and she glared at him.

"When Harry comes-"

"HA! When Potter comes, what? The minute Potter enters these premesis, he will be greeted with a hoard of my followers. He will not reach me with the strength and will to fight." She struggled to her feet, ignoring her broken and twisted ankles.

"I'm standing here, aren't I?" she growled and then spat blood and saliva at his feet. A force knocked her onto her back and caused intense, uncontrollable pain on her head. She screamed but could not get her arms or legs to move, as a pain of its own kind surged through them as well.

"You have tried my patience with you defiance, mudblood. The only reason you still live is because of Malfoy's punishment. He was a traitor and was treated as one. But, now that Mr. Malfoy is gone, I will not have any hesitation in killing you." The pain stopped and she rolled onto her side, vomiting blood and other contents.

"He's not dead," she whispered. "He's not dead."

"He might not be dead, but what makes you think he'll reach you?"

"He promised me. And Malfoy's always keep their promises, especially to other Malfoys."

"_CRUCIO!!!_"


	14. Holding On

_Leo Buscaglia_

_What we call the secret of happiness is no more a secret than our willingness to choose life._

_

* * *

_

Draco rolled over as the werewolf was blasted to the side. Scrambling to his feet, he watched as the others flew towards him.

"GET MOVING!!" Ron roared, sprinting past him. The werewolf was coming back around and none of them wanted to be around. That and the fact that the Aurors were coming for them also. Draco and Blaise grabbed Ginny's arm, yanking her along. A jet of blue soared past them and Ginny screamed, clutching her leg. Blaise scooped her up and kept running.

"There it is!!" Harry roared back. Draco could see a rather large manor coming into sight. They hurtled into a clearing and the Potter House came into clear view. It wasn't as large as the Malfoy Manor, but it was much nicer looking than the Manor. The Aurors were putting on speed and so was the damn werewolf.

"Potter, where the HELL is this magical boundry of yours?!" Blaise yelled. Ginny was slowing him down and the werewolf was making him nervous. Harry stopped and aimed several curses at the werewolf.

"GET IN THE HOUSE!!" Ron reached the veranda and threw open the back door. Draco turned around and aimed several curses at not only the werewolf but the Aurors. Harry grabbed him and threw him into the house. "Have you LOST YOUR MIND!!! What the hell do you think they're going to think if you're firing hexes at them?!" Blaise stumbled in, dropping Ginny on the ground and falling beside her. Ron slammed the door closed behind Harry. The werewolf slammed into the glass and was thrown back into the Aurors, who scrambled out of the way. Shutting the drapes, the room was doused in darkness and the only sound was panting from all and snickering from Draco. Ignoring the latter, Blaise lit his wand and leaned over Ginny. Harry walked around, looking for a light switch while Ron sank to the floor, eyes closed.

"Shut up, Malfoy!" he snapped. Glaring, Draco silenced and turned his attention to Ginny. She leaned against the wall, gritting her teeth while Blaise poked at her wound. It was a large burn that seemed to be bleeding in some parts.

"Stop poking it, Blaise," she hissed, slapping his hand away. He glanced at her and waved his wand over the burn. It shrunk and the bleeding stopped. Conjuring a salve, he wrapped it around her leg and stood her up.

"You're welcome," he muttered.

"Thank you," she told him, squeezing his hand in gratefulness. Ron made a gagging noise and Ginny threw him a glare. The lights came on and Harry returned, glancing at the back door, where the muffled voices of Aurors could be heard.

"Let's move to the kitchen," he muttered. "I don't want to talk in here." They all looked around. They were standing in a large living room. Pictures hung on the walls and on the mantle. Some were of Harry's parents but others were of people they could not identify. Harry walked out once more, a sullen look on his face and the others followed him, Blaise supporting Ginny. They moved down a relatively dark hallway and into a gloomy kitchen. Harry turned on a light and sat at the island table, the others joining him. Ron looked around.

"So, this is Potter House?" he asked and Harry glanced at him.

"Well, that's what it's called now, but it was actually Gryffindor House. And, no, we're not related, it was just built by Gryffindor." Ginny shrugged off the backpack and put it on the table.

"Well, what do we do now?" she asked them. "Soon, Ministry will be here and they'll try and get in. We can't hang around forever."

"We find out where Riddle Manor is," Harry stated. "I was there once, but that was through portkey so..."

"It's ta the west of ere," Draco said. "It used ta be near Malfoy Manor." Ron gave him an odd look.

"What do you mean, it used to?" Draco shrugged his shoulders.

"I men, et used to. Et's not there anymore. He moved et after the ittle fiasco wit Potta at da graveyard." Harry eyed Draco.

"How do you know about that?" Draco laughed and then coughed.

"My father was der, Potta. Ou know dat." Harry nodded silently and Blaise stood.

"We need to rest right now," he said. "Red's injured, so there's not much we can do at the moment. We finish this tomorrow. Potter, where are the rooms?" Harry stood, motioning for the others to follow. Draco didn't get up and watched as they left. Closing his eye, he exhaled.

_My patience is ebbing, Draco. You're little mudblood is not complying to my demands._

"Tha would be Ermione fo ou. She doesn't like ta submit to men, especially egotistical bastars ike ou."

_Your impertinence amuses me. Ah well, that will be changed soon. I have yet to pull torture out on her. She claims to be strong, but not even she can have strength after what I will put her through. I hear that you do not mind sharing her with others. Well, then there will be no problem in the next phase of my plans. Goodbye, Draco._

A roar resounded through the staircase and Harry glanced at Ron and they both flew back down the stairs and skidded to a halt in front of the kitchen door. Draco sat there, clutching his head forcfully.

"Ou have twenty four ours, Potta," he growled. "After tha, Ah go on mah own."

* * *

She was dragged by her hair into a dimly lit room and left alone, the door locked. Reaching up, she pulled herself into a chair with her arm, brushing away tears of pain as her ankles throbbed. 

"This is what you get for trying to throw away your past," she muttered to herself, looking around her surroundings. "Well, when I thought torture could get no worse." Another kick came and she looked down. "Why are you still alive?" she whispered. "By all logic, you should be dead." Another kick came and she rubbed her stomach, which was marked with bruises and such. "But love isn't always logical, is it. Take your father and I. We aren't logical. By all reason, we shouldn't even love each other. But we do...I guess love isn't something you learn in books, like everything else I've known...I'll let you in on a little secret. Do you want to know when I started loving your father? Well, it had to be when he kissed me in the hall after Professor McGonagall had lectured me. I don't know, I just felt that I could finally feel him loving me, not for my body mind you. No, for something deeper than that..." She trailed off, her throat closing in on her and she wiped tears away that were streaming down her cheeks. "Look at me," she whispered, laughing through her tears. "I'm being held captive by Voldemort, I'm being tortured and I'm pregnant. Draco would be proud, wouldn't he?"

"He would." She stood, glaring as the door opened and closed and Smith came in, a bottle of wine in his hand. She hobbled to the wall, searching the room for something to use to protect herself.

"What do you want?" she snapped. "Haven't you had your share?" Smith smirked, pouring the cool, red liquid into the silver goblets. He approached her and she eyed him. "I think we've been through this," she hissed.

"Yes, but you seem to be on a better mood than last time," he replied. "You're not as emotional."

"I've just had time to control myself. Let me, by the way, compliment on your horrible skills at torturing. You and your friends did a beautiful job. I can still _almost_ feel the pain." He merely smiled and handed her the goblet. She didn't take it. "Don't expect me to touch anything you give me. Odds are, it's either poisoned, or it's some new torture drink that'll fill me with pain. Either way, I'm not touching it." Smith's grin widened, stepping closer.

"If I were you, I'd stop talking and drink up. Because you won't be having the best of time in the next few hours." She was shaking but glared in defiance. He pushed the wine into her hand, stepping closer. "Poison wine?" He leaned in, lips next to hers. She dropped the goblet, pressing her body into the wall.

"Draco will kill you," she whispered.

* * *

Ginny sat down in the living room, watching Harry carefully. "Are you ok, Harry?" she whispered. He glanced at her. 

"This whole thing is spinning out of control," he muttered. "I know you weren't awake for a few hours, but you should have seen how fast Aurors swarmed the grounds. Fudge was out there too. The Daily Prophet, The Quibbler. Every magical news paper company was out there. Listen, you can hear the Aurors going at the House's charm system." Above the crackle of the fire, Ginny heard the sound of charms hitting the Potter House.

"Have you got a plan on what we're going to do?" she asked him and he shrugged.

"Malfoy's the only one who knows where Riddle Manor is and until he wakes up from whatever nightmare he's having now, we're stuck here."

"What do you mean, nightmare?"

"When we were at the hotel, he had nightnares. He kept waking up, yelling about stuff."

"Did you catch what he was on about?"

"Something about Hermione. I don't know. Do you think there's a possibility that he might be crazy?" She sunk into the couch, sighing.

"Blaise and I talked about it," she told him. "I don't know. At first, it might have been trauma of thinking her dead. But, now that we know better, he still mutters to himself and such. It could be, but somehow I think that maybe it might have to do with something he isn't-"

"Telling us, I know," Harry finished, staring into the fire. "Like maybe he isn't really just talking to himself..." Ginny looked at him in confusion.

"What do you mean?" He shook his head.

"No, it doesn't matter," he muttered. She watched him for a minute and sighed.

"Harry, you're becoming distant with me." He glanced at her.

"I'm not trying."

"Well, you are. Harry, tell me you're not still mad about Blaise and I." Harry stared at her for a minute and then turned back to the fire.

"No," he replied honestly. "I'm not mad. I've actually gotten over that. It's just that, I've been thinking about what we're going to do when we find Hermione. I mean, she'll be in Voldemort's complex...What happens if we meet Voldemort?" Ginny felt her breath catch in her throat. _The prophesy..._

"Harry..." She stood and sat down next to him. "Harry, look at me." He turned to her and she sighed. "Harry, we are going to be here for you. We will always be here for you. Even Malfoy. I know you have to do this on your own. That's what Dumbledore has told you. Has trained you for. But don't think we won't be there for you, Harry. We will be there when it comes time for you to face Voldemort, Harry. We _will _be there for you." She pulled him into a hug, feeling tears come into her eyes. "Please don't worry Harry," she whispered. "It will be ok."

"Ginny." They pulled apart and turned to see Blaise leaning in the doorway, staring at the closed drapes. "Come on, it's time for bed." She turned back to Harry and kissed him on the cheek.

"Don't worry about anything, Harry," she told him. "Just think about the task ahead. Hermione needs your help. Let Voldemort come when he comes. We're still here." Getting up, she walked past Blaise and up the stairs. Blaise turned to Harry, who smiled, gazing into the fire.

"Keep her safe, Blaise," he murmured. "Don't let her get hurt. She's too good to let go." Blaise nodded and walked up the stairs. He found Ginny's room and leaned in the door frame.

"You ok?" he asked and Ginny looked up from a letter she was reading. She wiped tears from her eyes and waved the letter.

"I still can't believe you wrote these to me," she whispered and he came into the room, taking the letter and glancing at it.

_Love is a decision not an emotion or feeling,  
that if made from the heart will outlast anything... _

- Raul and Samantha Juarez -

_Your Stalker_

He laughed and tossed it onto the bed side table. She pulled him to the bed and he wrapped his arms around her. She snuggled into him, tears running down her face. He stroked her hair, watching his dark fingers run through her flaming red hair.

"Are you frightened?" he asked softly and she bit her lip.

"Yes," she responded. "I'm scared. Hermione could be dead, Blaise. We just got her back and now we might lose her again."

"Draco won't let that happen," he murmured. "And the Dark Lord won't let it happen, either. He needs Hermione to draw in not only Draco, but Harry as well. If Hermione's dead, then the Dark Lord loses his bait."

"But Draco won't know."

"He knows she's not dead."

"But, how can he kn-"

"I don't know, he just does." He shifted around in the bed and pulled her closer. "He knows things that we don't, Red. I haven't tried asking him how because I know he won't tell me. Just trust me when I tell you that he knows she's not dead." She looked up at him and he wiped her tears away, kissing her forehead.

"I've asked you before, but I'll ask you again," she whispered. "Why did you chose me out of all the girls in Hogwarts?" He stared at her and leaned down, kissing her softly. Pulling her closer, he rested his head on the pillow and pulled up the sheets.

"Because I knew you would be the only girl in Hogwarts who would ask me that question, and never recieve an answer," he murmured. She kissed his chin and snuggled closer.

"Goodnight, Blaise."

"Goodnight, Ginny."


	15. ProLive

It has been often said that, when given the choice between two evils, a man must chose the lesser of the two evils. But, there comes a time in a man's life where a third choice comes about. But this choice must not be taken lightly, for there can only be two outcomes of this choice. Life or death.

* * *

"Draco," Ginny whispered, shaking him carefully. "Come on. We're about ready to go." Draco moaned but got up and followed her into the kitchen. Blaise handed him a cup of coffee, which he gratefully accepted. Harry leaned against the wall, running a hand tiredly through his unrully hair. 

"Well, Malfoy," he began. "Seeing as you know the way, what do we do?" Draco looked up from his cup.

"We floo ta Riddle Mana," he muttered and Ron's eyes bugged out.

"Have you lost your mind!" he yelled. "We can't just floo into Voldemort's place!"

"If you'd get your frigging ears back in place, you'll finish listening to him," Blaise snapped.

"The Riddle Mana isn't in use," Draco continued. "The Dark Lord doesn't use et. We floo der and walk ta da complex. I can't tell ou much afta dat."

"Why's that?" Harry asked and Draco rubbed both hands to his temples.

"Cause dey know we're comin for er," he mumbled and the kitchen went silent except for the sounds of hexes and muffled news crews ricocheting off the House's walls.

"What do you mean, they know we're coming for her?" Harry asked in a voice that was barely containing his rage. Ron was clenching and unclenching his fork.

"Ah mean, they know we're comin an dey'll be waitin fo us." Ron had Draco against the wall in a flash, holding him up by his collar.

"How the HELL do they know?" he growled and Draco closed his eye. "TELL US!!"

_Yes, Draco. Go on, tell them how you know. Tell them that Lord Voldemort talks to you and they will throw you to the Ministry_.

"Ge ou of my head," Draco hissed, causing Ron to start.

_Tell them that, for the past month or so, Lord Voldemort has been talking to you. Tell them that He is the one that has made you who you are now. A murderer._

Draco's mind went blank and then he began shaking his head, trying to hold back the threatening tears. "No."

_You could not keep your promise, even for a Malfoy. That is very disappointing indeed. It is not every day that you find a husband responsible for the death of his wife_.

"STOP!!!" Ron dropped him, startled at the tears that were coming down Draco's face. The blonde Slytherin quickly brushed them away and stormed from the room. Ginny traded worried looks with Blaise, who got up and followed his friend, finding him in the library. He was leaning over a table, breathing deeply. "We need ta go, now, Blaise," he murmured and Blaise nodded.

* * *

Ron looked around him at the dust and grime and curled a lip. "Filthy, isn't it?" Ginny nodded, dusting off her jeans and pushing a rickety looking table out of the way. They stood in what appeared to be the living room of Riddle Manor, having flooed from the kitchen fireplace of Potter House. Nobody had questioned Draco on his knowledge of an awaiting party of Death Eaters after he had stormed off and Ron kept his distance, glancing at him every so often. Draco ignored the state of the room and strode out into the narrow, dark hall and kept on it until they reached the back. Opening it, he stepped out into a foggy atmosphere, seeing the cemetary quite close by. Harry shuddered visibly upon sighting the cemetary, his hand immediately going to his arm in memory of what had happened those three years ago. Ginny rubbed his back comfortingly and walked behind Draco. She had no wand as Draco had taken it from her, so she was placed between Draco and Harry. Blaise and Ron brought up rear. 

"There," Draco muttered, pointing through the fog and the others squinted. Through the mist could be seen the foothills of a rather large mountain. As they approached, the mist became heavier and they clustered closer together. "The entrance is ova der," Draco explained, crouching behind a tombstone and pointing to an angel with it's arm gone. "The grave is empty, so that's the entrance." Harry looked around.

"Why are there no guards? This is beginning to look too easy." Draco nodded and pointed to the foothills.

"Der are Death Eatas swarmin the foothills. Dey don't care so much about da entrance."

"Why?" Ginny asked and Draco shrugged.

"The Dark Lord's on da otha side of the complex, so dis entrance isn't as much as a priority. Dis one leads to da dungeons an such."

"But, you said they know we're coming."

"So?"

"Shouldn't there be more security?"

"Na on da outside, Red. Dey'll be waitin fo us inside. Ouside der are too many places for us to ide an we can geh to Riddle Mana befo they cou ex us. Inside, dey can make sure we don escape." Ginny gulped and Blaise squeezed her hand. Harry peered over the tombstone.

"Should we try for it then?" Ron stared at him.

"There are Death Eaters waiting for us inside, and you want us to just go in?" he hissed and Harry nodded.

"Ron, I've been training with Dumbledore for longer than you know," he muttered. "I'm sure Zambini knows some curses and Malfoy here...well, he's Malfoy. You and Ginny know enough for a duel. I think we can handle Death Eaters, no matter what they throw at us." Ron took a deep breath and sighed, nodding. Harry turned to Draco. "This is it, you know?" he said and Draco stared at him.

"Wha the hell's tha mean?"

"I mean, this is your last chance to chose," Harry explained, glancing at the entrance. "Either your with us or your against us. I know you're here for Hermione, but that's not enough to convince me." He held out his hand. "Shake it, and you're with us. Don't, and we leave you here gagged and bound and take you to the Ministry later. Or we kill you. Either way, you end up screwed. So what will it be?" Draco looked from his hand to Harry and back. Slowly, he reached out and took Harry's hand.

* * *

The door swung open and a Death Eater leaned into the room. Upon catching sight of Smith, he shook his head, averting his eyes. "Smith, we've got company," he snapped. "Stop shagging the girl, get some clothes on and lets go. Potter's in the complex." The door closed and Smith leaned in close to Hermione, who tried to get away, only to be tugged back by her hair. 

"Did you hear that?" he hissed, hands moving up and down her thighs while listening to her whimper. "You're knight in shining armor is here to save you. Too bad I'll have to kill him. Dark Lord's orders." Hermione screamed as he shoved her maliciously into the wall. She sank to the ground, shaking and sobbing. She curled up into a ball, clutching her legs to her and crying. She was no longer wearing anything but bruises, gashes and blood, which covered her body thoroghly.

Smith dressed quickly and grabbed Hermione's arm. Screaming and kicking, she thrashed around, trying to eradicate her arm futiley from him as he dragged her out of the room and down the hall. Other Death Eaters had assembled, hundreds, in a wide hallway and were waiting impatiently for something. Smith stepped out to the front and smiled as voices floated down the hall.

"How much further until we meet these Death Eaters?" Hermione froze. Ginny

_Oh no_...

"GINNY!!!" she began screaming. "HARRY, RON!!!" Footsteps thundered around the corner and the small group skidded to a halt at the end of the hall, eyes on the rabble of Death Eaters, who grinned wickedly at them. Draco's eye found Hermione and Blaise and Ron had to hold him back as he lunged for her. Smith grinned, pulling her head back by her hair and she cried out in pain.

"I believe you came for this," Smith chortled and Draco lunged forward again, eye wild with unbelievable loathing. A hate deeper than loathing that could not be explained was raging with in him as Smith's hands slithered down Hermione's skin. "I'll have to tell you, Draco," Smith continued. "She was very hospitable. Very good at accomidating a man's needs. I must say that many of us are very glad that you left her." Ginny had to grab onto one of Draco's arms, as he seemed to be dragging Blaise and Ron along.

"I. Will. Kill. You," Draco managed out through grinding teeth. But all he could see were the tears running down Hermione's cheeks. Smith kicked her and Draco let out a strangled roar, Blaise heaving him back.

"Don't do it, Draco," Blaise hissed to him. "Not yet." Another Death Eater drew his wand.

"Enough talking," he growled. A woman pulled out her own wand.

"Yeah! Let's kill em!!" The Death Eaters charged and Draco gave Ginny back her wand.

"I won't need it," he hissed, feeling rage flow through him. Harry had also discarded his wand, eyes burning brightly and he glanced at Draco.

"You ready?" he asked in a voice that didn't seem to be his own. Draco nodded, chest rising and falling as adrenaline rushed through him.

"Been ready."

The five Hogwarts students clashed head on with the hundreds of Death Eaters and the hallway exploded. Five Death Eaters went flying, engulfed in flames as Harry flung out his hands, fire hurtling at startling speeds at the shocked rabble. Ron, who had picked up Harry's wand, was now firing off curses at rapid speed, his back against Blaise's as they spun around. Ginny had picked up a large wooden object and was now whacking around with it, clobbering Death Eaters over the head. She caught a glimpse of Draco, who was bulling his way through Death Eaters towards where Hermione was. Smith grabbed her and began dragging her down the hallway, and Draco, ignoring the hexes that were being flung at him, flew after them. Rounding a corner, he came to a stop, heart pounding in his chest. Smith dug his wand into her neck, smirking at Draco.

"So, I have underestimated you, Draco Malfoy," he stated and Draco glared.

"Der seems ta be a lot of dat lately."

"Yes, well." He tapped Hermione's cheek. "It all ends here. This does look like a similar position, doesn't it? Her, about to die and you, unable to do anything about it. How does it feel to be the cause of all of this?" Draco stared at Hermione, who was barely standing. Her eyes seemed to be fogged over with a sign of resignation. The only sign of her being alive was the gasps of her breathing and the sharp rise and fall of her chest. She trembled slightly, but that was it. There was no sign of a soul. There was no sign of a being. Just emptiness, taken on by the loss of will to live any longer.

"I didn't do this," he whispered, fingers clenching and unclenching. "I neva did this!!"

"Despite your denial, I will give you a choice," Smith growled. "Either she stays here and lives, or she dies. Either way, you walk empty handed." Suddenly, everything seemed to stop. Draco's mind drifted and an image of a night came to him.

_"Draco, after the school year's over, where would we go?"_

_"Malfoy Manor...why?"_

_"I don't know. Do you really want to stay in England?"_

_"Where would you want to go?"_

_"I've always wanted to see Africa..."_

_"You want us to move to Africa?"_

_"I never said that. I just said that I wanted to see Africa. The Sahara or something." _

_"Do you want to move to Africa, Hermione? It's a simple question." _

_"Only if you'll take me and promise that I can have as many children as I want. And some of them can be girls. We'll live in an old Victorian house on the edge of a large plain...wake up and see lions or something on the doorstep..."_

_"Maybe one of them will eat you. You're living in a fantasy, Hermione."_

_"They have houses like that for magical folk. I've read that many famous people retire to Sahara plains and live out the rest of their lives there."_

_"Yes, but you're seventeen. Even if we did move there, how on earth would a child have an education in the desert?"_

_"They have excellent schools, despite what one may think. Besides, I think you like the idea of having a lot of children and then shipping them off to school." _

_"Yes...I guess a couple kids, no! I'm not thinking about this. See, take you to see Mt. Everest and you've got all kinds of ideas in your head."_

_"I would love to live there. No worries, no war. Not magical anyway. It would be beautiful...take me to Africa, Draco. If you can do one more thing for me, promise me you'll take me to Africa, even if you refuse to live there. Just take me there..."_

"Malfoy's neva break their promises," he whispered, eye raising to meet Smith's. "Ah don plan ta break dat tradition now." Before Smith could blink, Draco had lunged at him, knocking him to the floor. Hermione rolled to the floor, eyes closing. Smith swung out and caught Draco in the jaw.

"_Crucio,_" he hissed and Draco fell to his knees, gritting his teeth to keep from screaming. "I don't see what the Dark Lord saw in you. Chosing you as an heir, a pathetic little nothing. _Crucio!!"_ Draco let out a cry of pain, clutching his hair as he pressed his head to the floor, pain rushing through him and tearing at his bones and blood. "You have chosen the death of your little mudblood. A pity. She was such a good hostess. _CRUCIO!!"_ Through a pain filled eye, Draco watched in torture as Smith walked over to where Hermione lay, motionless. He tipped her to the side so that she was staring at Draco through misty eyes. "This has been a pleasant exchange, and, had you been a more willing visitor, she would have stayed alive. But you're selfishness is your downfall, Draco. And for that, she must die."

Hermione closed her eyes slowly. She would rather die than live in torment. "I'm sorry, my child," she whispered, running a hand over her stomach. "But this is not a life you were destined to live in..."

"No, it's not. _AVADA KADAVRA!!"_


	16. My Passion

_Julie de Lespinasse_

_"You know that when I hate you, it is because I love you to a point of passion that unhinges my soul."_

* * *

Mrs. Granger sat down on the couch, setting down her mug of steaming coffee. Narcissa came in and placed the tray of sandwiches on the coffee table and also sat down on the couch. Mr. Granger came in, followed by Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. They all chatted for a while and then an owl swooped in. Narcissa took the letter from it and handed it to Mrs. Granger. 

"It's for you," she said, sitting down again. Mrs. Granger opened the letter and laughed.

"Here, listen to this:

_Dear Mum,_

_Oh, I hope this gets to you. I don't know about the postal service, as I don't use it much. The man at the desk said it would take only three days, but when I called on them five days later, the letter had not been sent. I do believe the man meant three days travel time, but who is to know. Maybe he was pulling my leg to see how many times I would come back to the office before I cursed him. Ah well. How is Dad? It has been a while since I visited. I suppose we'll be coming up for Christmas. The children are dying to see snow, and it will be nice for Nathan to see it for the first time. We haven't been up there for Christmas since before he was born. Where will it be held this year? Ask Narcissa if she can host it, as I know this year Dad's side of the family is also coming and I know you won't be able to house that many. Have you spoken to Harry or Susanne? I do believe they said they would send me a letter, but maybe they have used the same postal office. Please tell Harry that he can call me, as I know he knows to use the telephone and we do have one. I heard that Susanne is pregnant! Oh, I hope I can come in time to see her before the baby is born. Is it a boy or girl? _

_By the way, I wrote Ron a letter but sent it along with the owl. Could you please see to it that he gets it? I've been meaning to write him for a while, but things have been hectic. I have finally gotten rid of all those boxes and the house looks wonderful now. No more cluster except for toys and such. Oh, this reminds me. Please write back with Ron's child's birthday. I can't remember his name nor his birthday, and I know if I ask Ron, we will get into an argument and I will not be in the mood for it. They are coming down here for August, but I would like to get birthday presents early. Enclosed also is a list of things I need you to send back with post. They'll send one of those big birds instead of an owl for large packages and I do need a lot. _

_Time heals. That's what people say, and in some respects it is true. My scars are very faint now and I have most of my memory. Some of it is still fuzzy, but it is coming to me. I don't remember some of the childhood memories, but the Healer says that it will clear up in a month or so. I was hoping I'd have all my memory already, as it has been almost six years since. Good grief, six years. Harry must be glad that it's over. Imagine if it hadn't ended then...well, I'd rather not. I don't like thinking back so far, it brings back terrible memories and these are memories that not God Himself could heal. I have stayed in contact with the friends from the muggle world, Nicole and Hillary. They do not know that I am a witch, but that does not affect anything. We are still very close and I call them often. If you don't mind, ask Narcissa if it would be ok if they come over and pick up some of my stuff from the manor. I sent her some things and I would like them to have them. _

_Well, things down here are going well. Elly and Nathan are both healthy and happy, running around and playing. Nathan turns two in a week, and he is very excited. Elly is more subdued about it. She came with me when picking up presents for Nathan and was slightly miffed that her birthday was so close to her younger brothers. Their birthdays are three weeks apart, so she is now six years. I pray that she has many more to come. I love both my children, but she is special to me, and she will always be special. She was with me when I was going through things I won't even mention. Nathan, thank God, will never have to know about these horrors. He is a happy, unaware four year old. And he has started muggle kindergarten at the American school here. Elly goes to the British Academy for Young Witches. Everyone says she will become like her mother, a bookworm, top-notch witch. Nathan is not a wizard and I am glad. I would hate to have all my children to be magical. And he doesn't mind not having magic. He loves his big sister with his whole heart and often looks up to her for advice, as it should be. _

_I have begun work at the hospital here in Potions Research, but I will soon have to go on leave. I am pregnant again! It is four months now, but don't be mad for not knowing. I haven't told anyone yet. It's twins this time and I am excited. I'm hoping for girls._

_Well, what more is there to talk of? Oh, yes. My husband._

_Draco Malfoy wants me to believe that he detest Kenya, when, in actuality, he loves it more than I do. I have found him in a tree more than once, just soaking in the warmth of the evening and the sound of the wind and birds. The plains stretch out as far as I can see as we do live a quarter mile away from actual civilization. He has become a silent person, but it doesn't bother me. The children make up for him. He loves them so much, especially Nathan, who he has taken a fondness to taking around the Sahara plains on occasions. I believe it is because it is his only son and he is determined to keep the Malfoy Family Heritage alive. He complained when I told him I was pregnant. Went on and on about not able to afford it. Tell Narcissa that she has raised the biggest liar I have ever known. The man owns five Quidditch teams here in Africa, one in Brazil and one in England!! He owns the largest Quidditch broom making company in Africa and he has a fortune from his parents. What is he complaining about? But I know he doesn't believe anything he says. I can see it in his eye when he looks at me. It is pride that shines there. It bothers him, sometimes, his missing eye. It is a reminder to him what happened but there is nothing we can do. _

_He has stopped drinking. You remember what he was like after the war. Almost drowned himself in Firewhiskey. But he is sober now, thanks to the fact that I am alive and here for him. He puts his energy into Quidditch and training. I'm proud of him, Mom. He's changed so much since the beginning and I just hope it get's better. I still hate him every now and then, but it's ok now. _

_Hope to see you soon and give my best to everyone,_

_Love always,_

_Hermione_"

Mrs. Granger looked up and laughed. "Well, that's our daughter." Narcissa leaned back in her chair and sighed.

"They seem content in Kenya. I'm glad that they went. I can't wait to see my grandchildren. Christmas seems so far away..."

* * *

Hermione rolled off him and snuggled into his side, running a hand up and down his chest. Resting her chin on his shoulder, she gazed up at him, glad she'd rolled off on the right side of him. 

"You seem...tired," she told him. "It was like you weren't really there..." His eye closed and he turned over, his back to her. She sat up, covering her chest with the sheets. "Draco."

"What?"

"Do you want to talk?"

"Not especially." She looked out the window and watched as several trees swayed to the wind.

"I hope my mom got my letter," she said.

"They got it, Hermione. Now stop talking." She placed a hand on his shoulder and felt him tense.

"What is it, Draco?" she whispered and he sat up, taking her leg in one hand and pulling it out of the sheets. He then pointed to a scar that was forever imprinted on her upper thigh. She immediately pulled her leg away and slipped it back under the sheets and took his chin in her hands. "Stop doing that," she hissed, feeling tears coming into her eyes. "Stop it." He grabbed her roughly by the shoulders, kissing her passionately. They fell back into the bed and he pulled away, resting his head on her chest.

"I can't," he told her, intertwining his fingers with hers. "I just keep remembering..." He turned back to look her in her eye. "Why are you saying something now? For six years, sex hasn't been the same and now you chose to bring it up." She stroked the side of his face.

"It wasn't important until now," she explained. "You just seemed...like you didn't want to hurt me."

"I don't." He rolled off of her and sat up. "I..." Looking away, he closed his eye. "I still remember what they did to you...and I don't want to repeat anything..." She sat up, forcing him to look at her.

"Draco, there is nothing you could do that could hurt me like they did," she whispered. "They took me without consent. I let you in. You could never repeat anything they did because you could never be like them. You were my first and you will be my last, Draco." She leaned in. "Kiss me." He leaned forward and captured her lips in a soft, heart felt kiss that made her gasp and melt into his arms. He trailed down her neck and across her collarbone. "I love you, Draco. Don't ever forget that."

"I love you."

"Mommy!!" The bedroom door swung open and a four year old boy trundled in, wearing a shirt much to big for him that barely covered his feet. "Daddy, goodmorning!" Pulling on one of Draco's large shirts, Hermione pulled her son into the bed while Draco got his boxers on and got out of bed. Kissing his son on the forehead, he walked to the bathroom door and shut it. Picking up the remote, Hermione turned on the television and snuggled in with Nathan as he flipped through the channels and found Nickelodeon. They were playing Spongebob Squarepants and Hermione giggled along with her son as Spongebob shed his pants to join the jellyfish. Draco opened the door again and leaned in the doorway, watching them silently. Elly came in and, running over, she hugged her father tightly.

"Hi, Daddy," she mumbled and he smiled slightly. "Can I watch t.v. too?"

"Why not?" he replied and she jumped in the bed, feet in the air as she propped her head on her hands and elbows, lying down in front of her brother and mom. He watched them again and sat down on the edge of the bed. Hermione rubbed her stomach and leaned back in bed, eyes closed and mouth pulled back in a grin. Nathan moved over and put both his hands on his mother's stomach, his face glowing.

"Draco," she whispered.

"What?"

"The baby moved."

* * *

**This is the end of the road, unfortunately! For all of you who have been consistent since Three Rings, I cannot thank you enough for your support! If any think this isn't the end, well it's not! Watch my bio for a new story called _'Til Death_. It's D/HR, so read it!! **

**Hope you enjoyed!! **

**GOD BLESS!!**


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